Chapter 146: Nightmare Top Hat [Subscription Requested!]

The first layer of the world is reality.

The second layer is the dream.

And the third layer is the netherworld summoned by the Butcher. As a life form composed of negative emotions, the Butcher's abilities are completely unaffected by dreams, whereas the monster was completely oblivious to what was happening before it.

The surroundings plunged into pure darkness. At the same time, a popping sound suddenly erupted from the ceiling, the floor, and the walls. Following closely, countless iron wires appeared in the center of the room, directly binding the monster's body.

The iron wires were like venomous snakes, possessing a strange vitality, wrapping around the monster circle after circle. Those wires were pulled so tight that some even embedded themselves into the monster's skin, fusing completely with its flesh and blood.

The monster attempted to struggle, but it was all in vain. This was a closed world, and the dreamscape at which the monster excelled could not cover this place. It was bound and unable to mount any effective counterattack.

Fan Li stood in place. In this world of pure darkness, even his night vision was somewhat impaired.

"Srust..."

That was the sound of the iron wires sliding. Immediately afterward, Fan Li felt a vicious, sinister gaze cast upon him from not far away.

The corners of Fan Li's mouth curled up into a slight smile, then he gripped the inverted crucifix in his hand and slowly walked forward.

"Don't waste your time on meaningless struggles. Just as you dragged me into the dream and left me unable to mount an effective counterattack, this is the third layer of the world. Having lost the protection of the dream, your strength is greatly diminished."

"If you don't want to lose the ability to infiltrate dreams and hunt your prey through special means in the future, you'd better stop struggling in vain."

As Fan Li spoke, he pressed the crucifix directly against the creature's face.

To be safe, the iron wires wrapped around all of the monster's offensive parts, including its arms, legs, and mouth.

"Ah!"

A wave of burning heat radiated outward. The moment the crucifix touched the monster's face, it began to tremble. At the same time, it frantically tried to break free from the iron wires binding its body, attempting to distance itself from the crucifix.

"As expected!"

Fan Li said in a definitive tone: "What you fear is the crucifix. This seems to hold some special significance for you; perhaps this is the will of heaven."

"Surrender to me, and I will let you continue your killing in dreams. But if you refuse me, I will make you stay here forever."

Corpse after corpse hung down and dropped from the ceiling. These were all lives that had perished in the netherworld. Once someone died here, both soul and body would remain, wrapped by iron wires into twisted forms, suffering torment day and night.

Those souls bound here seemed to be cheering for the addition of a new member. One of the corpses had its eyes pierced by iron wires, its legs bound and forcibly bent, tangled around its neck to form a contorted shape. The only thing it could control was its viscous, slender tongue. At this moment, it kept shuffling across the ground, trying to approach the monster.

As for other corpses, the skin all over their bodies had been peeled off, leaving only red granulation tissue. They hung from the ceiling like cicada chrysalises, a pair of eyes filled with despair and resentment fixed upon the monster.

They were enduring unimaginable pain; they could not escape this place. Only by seeing a new victim could their twisted hearts find a shred of satisfaction.

These bound souls were the best proof—once sealed here, it was even more terrifying than death!

Throughout the time he spoke, Fan Li kept pressing the crucifix against the creature's face. He never believed that mere persuasion would work on a monster, especially after drawing lessons from the previous experience, which made him realize that capturing a monster required keeping it continuously at the critical threshold of collapse.

Suffering both physical and mental devastation at the same time dealt a heavy blow to the monster. Suddenly, a few lines of blood-red text appeared in his previously pure darkness-shrouded field of vision.

[Sealing requirements met. Do you wish to seal the monster (completely)?]

"Yes!"

As Fan Li recited silently in his heart, it was as if a sheet of glass had shattered, breaking the dark barrier, and beams of light projected into his eyes.

"Hah!"

Like a drowning person, Fan Li bolted upright from the bed. First, he looked around warily and called for Ellie, who was eating snacks in the next room. Only after confirming that this was not a dream constructed for him by the monster did he wipe away a cold sweat and let out a long breath of relief.

A close encounter with an unfamiliar and hostile monster was no easy task.

Fan Li was grateful that he had kept the crucifix hanging on him all along, which had exerted a certain influence on the monster. Coupled with his own fear resistance and the Butcher's ability to completely seal away emotions, the creature was unable to harvest any fear to fuel its power growth.

This was much like throwing a lion that ran rampant across the grasslands straight into the ocean; no matter how terrifying the beast might be, it could still drown while being toyed with by a dolphin.

The monster's ability was not weak, capable of directly killing enemies within a dream. The only pity was that it had chosen the wrong opponent.

As Fan Li pondered, his gaze suddenly froze on the table. Resting there was a brownish-black fedora.

He had never placed any items there; undoubtedly, this was the medium representing the completion of the seal.

Fan Li took out the Monster Manual and flipped to the latest page.

Obtained item: [Nightmare Fedora]

Nightmare Fedora description: Only when you wake up do you realize that reality is often even more terrifying than a nightmare. Place the hat upon your head and recite a nursery rhyme, and the nightmare will appear before you. Upon summoning, your consciousness will sink into a trance, rendering you unable to distinguish between the reality of the waking world and the dream for thirty seconds.

[Summoning a nightmare is by no means a rational act, unless you are tired of your current life. Within those thirty seconds, you will experience numerous hallucinations, which may lead to panic, reminiscence, or even suicidal phenomena.]

[Curiosity killed the nightmare. It never expected that a whim of a visit would turn it into a prisoner. Your reputation has taken another hit, but your deterrent force in the hearts of other monsters has risen to a new height once again. You have proven yourself with your strength, causing more timid monsters to pull back, yet similarly provoking many powerful monsters to eagerly test the waters.]

[Becoming a topic of heated discussion among monsters is never a good thing. Any intelligent creature will always feel curiosity toward the unknown, and there is only one condition to escape this attention: unless you also become one of them.]

[The coerced nightmare's favorability toward you is 0. If you wish to forge a bond, try investing more fear!]