Chapter 328: The Dilemma of the Ninglan New City Lord
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 328: The Dilemma of the Ninglan New City Lord
"Whoa! Yes!"
"Fantastic! Those damn Nightmares finally got what was coming to them!"
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the expressions of the Ground Patrol members shifted from grim solemnity to sheer ecstasy.
They never imagined the day would come when they could personally capture those Nightmares.
Thinking back to just a few days ago, they were nothing more than glorified bystanders who could do nothing but cordially cordone off the scene whenever a Nightmare invaded. Now, they could rightfully bask in the adulation of the masses.
Even though they knew full well these people were just a bunch of unruly rabble looking for a show, they didn't care about such minor details right now.
Each of them held a new type of weapon. The exterior looked like a rush job, directly borrowing the casing of a Type I Beyonder Killing Weapon spear.
However, its essence was an experimental Nightmare Killing Weapon produced by the Beyonder Research Base.
When the people from the research base first approached the Ground Patrol, the patrolmen couldn't believe the base had worked so efficiently.
How many days had it been since the Nightmares first appeared?
In the past, whenever there were minor public security issues that required the base's cooperation, they would drag their feet for months. They’d constantly use the Beast Tide on the surface as an excuse, claiming their reserves were depleted or their consumption was too high.
Sometimes, the quality of their output was highly questionable as well.
But this time... while the quality was admittedly a bit lacking, this was an un-mass-produced experimental model.
Even so, after only a brief training session on how to operate them before the operation, the patrolmen were able to use them immediately.
They looked at the Nightmares trapped at the tips of their weapons. Although they were called "Killing Weapons," they didn't actually have the power to kill the Nightmares yet—they could only restrain them.
The patrol would have to escort these Nightmares all the way back to the Beyonder Research Base for special containment.
According to the base, the Nightmare Killing Weapons were still in the development phase. To truly kill a Nightmare, the technology would need to iterate at least to a Type II model.
Currently, they hadn't even released an official Type I. The Ground Patrol members understood this perfectly; this was the Beyonder Research Base they knew—slow as molasses.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Ninglan New City on the surface.
"Lord City Lord, rumors are circulating in the city that you are colluding with Dream Demons, sacrificing the lives of ordinary people as the price..."
"Since you know they are rumors, suppress them. I don't want to hear another word of this spreading."
"Understood."
"City Lord, news has come from the City Defense Force. The movements of the variant beasts outside the city are different from previous years. This month's Beast Tide might erupt several days early. Based on preliminary analysis, it may be linked to those Outsiders we expelled."
"A 'link'? It's a certainty. Those Outsiders were driven out of our Ninglan New City; they harbor resentment and have colluded with the variant beasts to incite a Beast Tide. The Outsiders are our greatest enemy. Do you understand how to suppress those rumors now?"
"Yes... Lord City Lord."
"Lord City Lord, news has also arrived from the Underground District Beyonder Research Base. They have made a breakthrough in the Nightmare Killing Weapon project. The experimental prototypes have successfully captured Nightmares. It won't be long before the Type I Nightmare Killing Weapon can enter small-scale manual production."
"So soon...?" Hearing this report, Ninglan Qiuyun couldn't help but mutter in surprise.
"I heard the Underground District has placed an Outsider scholar in a position of great importance... That Outsider brought entirely new Beyonder Arts, and this Nightmare Kill—"
"Enough, I understand," he said, waving a hand.
"Then, City Lord, regarding the procurement of the Nightmare Killing Weapons..."
"We have our own methods. Or do you look down on the strength of our Beyonder Arts Research Association?" Ninglan Qiuyun glared at the official reporting to him.
He couldn't possibly reveal his cooperation with the Dream Demons. Although he knew many of the officials below him were likely being blackmailed by the Dream Demons as well, it was still not something that could be discussed openly.
Of course, he needed a cover story for the methods the Dream Demons provided. Did Ninglan New City have its own Beyonder Arts research base?
No. The surface had relied on the underground's Beyonder Arts for so long that they had completely abandoned their own research, leaving them with nothing more than a Beyonder Arts Research Association.
Furthermore, the president of that association, a man named Wumali, was just a greenhorn who had recently taken over. As the City Lord, it was easy for him to manipulate such a person.
He only needed a plausible excuse. However, while the weapons enhanced by those "methods" were effective against Outsiders, they were woefully inadequate against Nightmares.
Even the special Dreamscape City Guard squads would end up in a pathetic state if they tried to handle them.
If not for the cooperation of the Dream Demons, they would have no way to eliminate the Nightmares at all.
"City Lord, the plague of Nightmares must be eradicated. Currently, we can only rely on the special City Guard squads, but they have to deal with the Nightmares while also expelling Outsiders. The mounting death toll is becoming unbearable for many. If this continues and the first case of permanent death occurs, it will severely shake the morale of the City Guard..."
"Enough! I know! But the Beast Tide is imminent. I expect you to understand the weight of our priorities!"
With that, the matter was settled. However, out of caution, they decided to purchase a few samples of the Nightmare Killing Weapons to test them out.
Afterward, Ninglan Qiuyun returned to his paperwork. Ever since he had been ensnared by that bone-melting, soul-consuming Dream Demon, he found managing Ninglan New City increasingly difficult. The matters requiring his attention and the political balancing acts were piling up.
But he had no choice. This was the sorrow of the weak. As the City Lord, he understood all too well how fragile this human settlement built upon ruins truly was.
It had endured for a thousand years, but any significant hardship could cause it to collapse. Ninglan New City's longevity was perhaps partly due to their efforts, but mostly due to luck—they simply hadn't encountered a true catastrophe.
And now, the arrival of the Outsiders, the emergence of the Nightmares, and the lurking presence of that damned Dream Demon... each was a bomb capable of leveling the entire city.
He felt like he was reaching his limit. Even though he appeared to be in his prime to outsiders, the decay of his heart and body was becoming visible to the naked eye.
He exercised daily to keep his body from failing, using Beyonder Arts to strengthen his physique—all so he could better dedicate himself to Ninglan New City, all for its continued existence.
And, of course... for his child.
Ninglan Qiuyu.
He needed to use his remaining time to clear away these external factors. To Ninglan Qiuyun, the Outsiders and the Nightmares weren't the fundamental threats. He was an old fox; how could he not see the danger the Dream Demons posed to the city?
The Dream Demons were the true enemies of Ninglan New City!
He needed to wipe them out before he passed, but whose hand would he use?
The Outsiders. His "good daughter" had already brought the matter to their attention. The Dream Demons' hands had already seized the seat of the City Lord. He needed to drag those demons down with him, drawing the hatred of the Outsiders so they would destroy both him and the demons together.
All it needed was a fuse. The public opinion in the city seemed chaotic, but flipping the narrative was easy. He had already laid the groundwork for many things, simply waiting for his son to "rebel."
Ninglan Qiuyun was prepared to be reviled for eternity, clearing the obstacles for his son and ultimately becoming the stepping stone for him to climb over his corpse and take the seat of the City Lord.
He could naturally see the suppressed desire and ambition in his son's heart; he simply pretended not to know.
In fact, he hoped his son felt that way. If his son had no interest in the position of City Lord, that would be the real cause for concern.
As for his daughter, capturing and confining her was a form of protection. Until those Dream Demons were finished using him, they wouldn't dare touch her, or he would fight them to the death. For the sake of their own interests, the Dream Demons wouldn't make a move for a while—provided Ninglan Qiuyue didn't do anything else to rattle their nerves.
"How is... Ninglan Qiuyu doing?" Just as Ninglan Qiuyun opened his mouth to ask, the officials below him suddenly acted as if they were in a trance, putting down their work and leaving the room.
Seeing this, Ninglan Qiuyun cursed inwardly but didn't dare lash out.
A seductive figure appeared silently behind him. She leaned against his back, her fingers tracing the bulging muscles of his spine, sending a wave of goosebumps across his skin.
"So concerned about your son?"
"I advise you not to lay a finger on him," Ninglan Qiuyun threatened coldly.
The Dream Demon remained unfazed.
"Fine, fine~ That young man looks much more delicious than his father. It seems I won't get a taste of him until you're gone~"
"Don't worry. I can hold out for a long time yet."
"Still handling paperwork? Why not take this chance to release some tension with me? Enjoy that exquisite experience once more?"
"When I'm finished with my work," Ninglan Qiuyun said, his face dark.
"Let me see~ Hmm~ The Underground District... Nightmare Killing Weapons. Hehe, I seem to have found something interesting. I didn't expect that Underground District I've been ignoring to quietly cook up something like this."
"Why would you be curious about that?"
"Just a little toy~ It can only trap Nightmares. Something so fragile it can't even kill them is useless. And yet you're planning to buy some to play with?"
"Just for testing. After all, you know your efficiency in dealing with the city's Nightmares is too low. If someone assists from the side, it might speed things up."
"True. Every time I have to deal with those Nightmares, I have to go personally. If you humans catch them and bring them to me to clean up, it would save me a lot of trouble."
"So, even you choose to be lazy?"
"Why not? That way, I'll have more time to see... if you're doing anything behind my back."
"Hmph..."
Ninglan Qiuyun didn't respond, knowing his future actions would only become more difficult.
She was suspicious after all. Despite her previous disdain, the Underground District could not be allowed to fall into the hands of these Dream Demons. There were more important things there—the source of the Ninglan Protection Stele, the very foundation of Ninglan New City. The Outsiders and Nightmares couldn't destroy it, but the Dream Demons could.
* * *
Underground District.
With the repeated success of the experimental Nightmare Killing Weapons, the redesign of the official Type I model's exterior could finally begin.
The base had gathered a wealth of test data and feedback from the Ground Patrol, allowing them to make further adjustments. However, these trivialities weren't my concern.
I was purely responsible for the breakthroughs in theory and technique.
Naturally, these techniques could also be expressed in the form of spells, which was a crucial point.
As for the research on the Type II Nightmare Killing Weapon, I planned to let them proceed step-by-step on their own. With the case study and theoretical guidance of the Type I, I believed they could complete it before long.
Of course, it wasn't that I wouldn't participate at all. Without me, what they considered "simple" would likely take months to achieve a breakthrough.
Even so, that would still be considered fast progress.
I was stepping back to act only as a theoretical guide to save time, simply because I had my own matters to attend to.
I wanted to make an attempt to break through my limitation of only being able to exist within the dreamscape.
Admittedly, descending here in person would carry immense risk, but remaining here only as a consciousness carried an even greater risk.
Therefore, I had to do this.
And since I had decided to do it, I had to be fully prepared for any emergency. No matter how small the probability, I had to account for it. I would not allow a meaningless accident to occur.
Before that, I needed to completely master the teleportation spellbook Sister Bai possessed.
Using a spellbook is one thing; casting a spell without one is another. But fully understanding the internal structure, rune rituals, and operational effects of a spell is an entirely different level.
Mastering this spell would ensure I wasn't helpless in the face of most accidents. Furthermore, Sister Bai had reminded me of one thing: the spatial coordinate anchor point for the teleportation spell could not be within the dreamscape. This meant the subsequent setup could not be done by my hand.
I needed Fool's Dream's help. It wasn't that I didn't trust the other scholars or apprentices here; it was that I didn't trust any of them from the very beginning. It was a matter of principle. My relationship with them would only ever be one of academic discussion, with no deeper interaction. Even regarding the rune rituals and other Transcendent Knowledge they were learning—if it wasn't useful to me, I wouldn't teach them a thing unless they proved their value.
But Fool's Dream... I knew them inside and out, so I naturally trusted them. Moreover, I had called Sister Bai over.
Though... Sister Bai was also helpless regarding everything happening in reality, at least if something truly irreversible happened, I wouldn't be completely in the dark when I returned.
"Xiao Han, is it really okay?"
"Sister Bai, you should be wishing me success, not worrying about me," I said, looking at her with a smile.
* * *
Witch Academy, Infirmary.
"Ugh... so boring. Did you bring any toys? Let me borrow one... mine ran out of batteries."
"Huh? Why are you still using an electric one? Isn't a mana-driven one more powerful?"
"It's cheaper..."
The two senior sisters working part-time to look after the Slumber Curse patients were chatting about some rather outrageous topics in their boredom.
Suddenly, the senior sister facing the door bolted upright.
"D-Dean! Good day, Dean!"
"Huh? Gah!? Good day, Dean! Dean, what brings you here?" The other one scrambled to her feet and turned around, seeing the figure.
"It's nothing. You two can head out for a bit; I'll take over here." Mei Lind smiled at the two students and spoke gently.
"Yes! Of course!"
The two senior sisters practically sprinted out without a moment's hesitation.