Cheng Ming’s movements paused. Even though he couldn’t see the nurse’s features, for some reason he could tell that she was crying... That fear, despair, and sadness continually emanated from her, spreading like ink dropped into clear water, gradually infecting Cheng Ming as well.
The urge to run away gradually took hold in Cheng Ming’s heart. He took two steps back, putting some distance between himself and the nurse.
Cheng Ming felt a liquid trickle down his cheek, dripping onto the ground. When he looked down, he was startled to find a drop of bloody tears.
Cheng Ming crouched down, his hands trembling as he touched his face.
He was horrified to discover that this liquid resembling bloody tears wasn’t flowing from his eyes but seeping out of his pores.
With a gentle scratch, he peeled off a chunk of rotten flesh, oozing pus and blood from his face... Strangely, he didn’t feel any pain during the whole process.
Cheng Ming suddenly realized that he was no different from the gatekeeper, the office staff, and the nurse and patients in the corridor. He had long become part of the infected area.
A strong sense of despair surged up, but along with it came an inexplicable anger.
Why... Why did the world become like this?
Why shove despair back into his hands after he had grasped hope?
Why was it always him encountering these unlucky things?
Cheng Ming slowly stood up.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers turned into a mass of flesh, exposing the white bones underneath.
But he was oblivious.
When fear breaks through a certain point, it ceases to be fear, turning into a rage instead.
Cheng Ming felt his body burning, the searing pain covering every inch of his skin, every bone from the inside out...
He let out a sudden roar, and instantly, everyone in the corridor exploded into blood mist — including himself.
"Ah!"
Cheng Ming suddenly opened his eyes and found himself still sitting in the Bai Group’s car. Directly above his view was the car’s ceiling light set to soft mode, and the continuous humming of the engine and tire noise were present. The other occupants of the car were staring at him with varied expressions.
The bloody images gradually faded away as if they were a distant dream. Cheng Ming raised a hand to wipe his forehead and found it covered in cold sweat, trickling down his temples and onto his collar.
The dripping sweat had long since soaked his clothing, clinging tightly to his skin.
"Was it a dream..." Cheng Ming thought to himself.
He glanced at the sweat wiped from his hand; it was clear and not blood-red... This allowed Cheng Ming to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Bai Lingqiu in the front passenger seat asked.
"Yes." Cheng Ming nodded.
"It’s normal... Many Mysterious Creature Hunters have nightmares." Miss Shadow handed Cheng Ming a pack of tissues, "Some dream of the moment they’re infected by a mysterious creature, others dream of being killed by a mysterious creature during a hunt, and some dream of their infection progress reaching a dangerous threshold, eventually turning into a mysterious creature or a mysterious corpse... I wonder which type yours was?"
Cheng Ming didn’t answer her question but instead asked, "Have you ever had such a nightmare?"
"I don’t dream." Miss Shadow shook her head, "Of course, it’s also possible that any dreams I had were forgotten upon waking."
"Can things that happen in dreams possibly become reality?" Cheng Ming couldn’t help but ask.
But he regretted asking, feeling it was an incredibly foolish question.
However, unexpectedly, Miss Shadow seriously answered him, "Generally speaking, things in dreams are fabricated, but there’s an expression: day thoughts, night dreams. When you frequently think about certain things, and these thoughts project into your dreams, reality and dreams can overlap to some extent, resulting in a déjà vu or flashback effect."
She paused, then continued, "These ideas are based on basic understanding of human brains and physical laws. Yet in an era plagued by mysterious creatures, anything could happen. Perhaps a mysterious creature has the ability to turn human dreams into reality..."
"Does such a mysterious creature really exist?"
"Even if there’s one, it would likely be ranked very high on the list of Type A mysterious creatures." Bai Lingqiu interjected, "The archive for such creatures is probably only accessible to the core members of Dubhe Tower; ordinary people wouldn’t have a chance to know of their existence."
"Even if such creatures existed, Dubhe Tower certainly wouldn’t publicize them." Miss Shadow chuckled softly, "Turning nightmares into reality, this ability would easily induce human panic. Knowing a creature like that exists would ensure people avoided nightmares, although dreams typically manifest what you fear most... And aren’t they called nightmares precisely for that reason?"
"What you fear most will appear..." Cheng Ming murmured. He suddenly lifted his head, gazing at the distant horizon.
A hint of dawn was already extending across the skyline.
"How long did I sleep?" Cheng Ming asked.
"Not much, just about five and a half hours." Miss Shadow replied.
"You could sleep a bit longer." Bai Lingqiu suggested, "If you need sleeping pills, I have some."
"No, thank you." Cheng Ming declined the offer politely, saying, "Can I see the computer for a moment? I’d like to know our upcoming route."
Bai Lingqiu generously handed the laptop over to Cheng Ming, saying, "We’re taking the same route as the first hunting mission. It’s one of the safest routes through the unmanned area, with the only drawback being that a lot of detours increase the risk of being pursued by deadly sandstorms."
"Has there been any activity over in Nanhua Town these past few days?" Cheng Ming asked again.
"No, the target mysterious creature seems to have fallen into a slumber." Bai Lingqiu shook his head, "If the first hunting mission’s meme detection equipment hadn’t confirmed that the target’s meme reaction remained unchanged at the bottom of the pit, we’d suspect the target might have dug a tunnel and escaped."
"Once we arrive, will we immediately attack the target mysterious creature?" Cheng Ming asked again.
Although, nominally, he’s the deputy leader of the second hunting mission, he’s entirely uninformed about the mission’s action plan.
"Yes, after the two hunting missions converge, we’ll immediately launch a new offensive on the target mysterious creature." Bai Lingqiu replied, "Unlike the first mission that prioritizes speed and movement, we’ve brought ample heavy equipment this time, making us ready to engage the creature in a tactical battle without fear."
Bai Lingqiu generously handed the laptop over to Cheng Ming, saying, "We’re taking the same route as the first hunting mission. It’s one of the safest routes through the unmanned area, with the only drawback being that a lot of detours increase the risk of being pursued by deadly sandstorms."
"Has there been any activity over in Nanhua Town these past few days?" Cheng Ming asked again.
"No, the target mysterious creature seems to have fallen into a slumber." Bai Lingqiu shook his head, "If the first hunting mission’s meme detection equipment hadn’t confirmed that the target’s meme reaction remained unchanged at the bottom of the pit, we’d suspect the target might have dug a tunnel and escaped."
"Once we arrive, will we immediately attack the target mysterious creature?" Cheng Ming asked again.
Although, nominally, he’s the deputy leader of the second hunting mission, he’s entirely uninformed about the mission’s action plan.
"Yes, after the two hunting missions converge, we’ll immediately launch a new offensive on the target mysterious creature." Bai Lingqiu replied, "Unlike the first mission that prioritizes speed and movement, we’ve brought ample heavy equipment this time, making us ready to engage the creature in a tactical battle without fear."