Chapter 197: Monsters in the Dream World

Chapter 197: Monsters in the Dream World



"Baron Rein, Lord Hamilton, welcome to the Usman Manor. Miss Naya is already waiting for you both in the living room. Please follow me." Knight Lawrence politely bowed slightly and led the way.

"Thank you, Knight Lawrence."

As for why the Usman family had Miss Naya receive them, Rein had already learned from Lord Hamilton on their way here that Viscount Usman had recently traveled to the capital city of Minster to visit an Alchemist Master, apparently to request a special potion to alleviate Miss Naya's symptoms.

When Rein and Hamilton entered the manor's living room, the first person they saw was Miss Naya.

She wore a light green silk waistcoat, her skin was fair, her features beautiful, and her figure slender, yet the places that should be full were not lacking in the slightest.

Additionally, due to her Sorcerer lineage, her brown eyes were deep and possessed a peculiar charm, making one feel a sense of goodwill upon first sight.

"Baron Rein, your performance in the Bloody Duel was truly impressive."

"Lord Hamilton, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Please take a seat, gentlemen." Miss Naya's crisp voice sounded, and she performed a lady's curtsy to both of them.

"Thank you for your kind words, Miss Naya," Rein said with a slight bow and a smile.

After some pleasantries, Lord Hamilton stood up with a smile and said, "Miss Naya, you can discuss the rest of the matter with Baron Rein. I'll go take a look around the manor."

Knight Lawrence also smiled and said, "I'll accompany Lord Hamilton."

As they bid farewell to the two, Miss Naya turned to Rein and said, "Baron Rein, I believe Lord Hamilton has already informed you about my situation, so please forgive my impertinence. If you agree to help me, what price would the Usman family have to pay?"

Rein had already considered this question beforehand, taking into account Lord Hamilton's role as an intermediary and his desire to establish a good relationship with this Sorcerer clan. Therefore, he did not intend to ask for an exorbitant price.

However, there was one issue that needed clarification. "Miss Naya, I'd like to know one thing first."

"If we enter the dream world and still can't defeat the monster you mentioned, can we return safely?"

"Of course, it's not that I lack confidence, but I'd just like to understand. I hope Miss Naya won't mind."

Miss Naya smiled and said, "Of course not. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have told you about this before we officially entered the dream world."

She could tell from his words that Baron Rein, the most suitable candidate from Maist County, seemed to have no objections to entering the dream world to help her slay the monster.

This was, of course, a good thing for her, as she wouldn't have to spend effort convincing him.

"Even if we can't defeat it, I still have the ability to bring Baron Rein back safely to the real world." Miss Naya said with certainty.

Hearing this, Rein nodded.

"Very well, then I'm relieved."

"My second question is about the monster in the dream world. Its strength, Lord Hamilton's explanation wasn't very clear. So, I hope Miss Naya can describe it in more detail."

"It's not a specific monster, but rather in a particular area of the dream world, there are many monsters of varying strengths."

"Of course, for me, the most important thing to break this nightmare is to defeat the source of the nightmare, a monster with the strength of a Peak Knight."

"To be precise, each time it appears in my nightmare, it's slightly stronger than the last."

"Last time, it was already at the Peak Knight level. Perhaps this time, it might have the strength of an early Great Knight."

"However, Baron Rein, with the strength you displayed in the Bloody Duel, and with my assistance, I believe that even if it has the strength of an early Great Knight, we still have a good chance of winning."

Miss Naya seemed to be concerned about Rein's refusal, but she added with confidence.

Rein nodded, sensing that Miss Naya was likely not lying.

After a moment of thought, Rein said, "It doesn't seem like a big problem. By the way, if we can successfully help Miss Naya with this, I'd like to visit the Usman family's library. Is that possible?"

At this point, Rein finally stated his condition.

"Visit the library?" Miss Naya's beautiful eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with a light laugh.

She had considered some of the requests Rein might make, such as a good weapon, a set of top-notch Knight plate armor, a desired Extraordinary Combat Technique, or some Wizardry Scrolls treasured by your family.

But she never expected Rein to make such a simple request.

This truly surprised her!

Seeing that Miss Naya hadn't responded for a while, Rein furrowed his brows and said, "Miss Naya, is there any difficulty?"

"Please rest assured, I won't look at any confidential records of your family. I merely want to find some knowledge that will benefit me."

Miss Naya finally realized and smiled, "Baron Rein, please forgive my earlier reaction. I was truly surprised by your simple request."

"If it doesn't involve the Usman family's secrets, I think your request to browse the family library is reasonable. I can agree to it right now."

"But if that's the case, I feel like I owe you something." Miss Naya covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"You're too kind, Miss Naya. Shall we begin now?" Rein smiled.

His purpose for coming this time was to gain access to the legendary Sorcerer clan's library and learn more about Wizardry.

Since she had agreed, the sooner the better.

"Very well, Baron Rein, please follow me."

Hearing Rein's initiative, Miss Naya was delighted and stood up to accompany him out of the living room.

Hamilton and Lawrence, who were standing outside the door, turned around immediately upon hearing the sound of the door opening. They saw Naya's smiling face and understood that she had come to an agreement with Rain.

The four of them walked down a long corridor and arrived at a prepared bedroom.

Inside, there was only a large bed and several chairs, nothing else.

"Baron Rain, please join me, hand in hand, and lie down on this bed," Naya said straightforwardly.

"Hmm?" Rain was slightly surprised.

But soon, he realized that this was probably a requirement for some kind of ritual. He nodded and said, "Alright, Miss Naya."

So, under the watchful eyes of Hamilton and Knight Lawrence, Rain and Naya held hands and lay down on the bed.

This was the first time Rain had experienced holding hands with a woman he wasn't very familiar with while being watched by others, and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

However, as soon as they held hands, Rain could feel a cool and slippery sensation from Naya's slender fingertips.

Naya, on the other hand, felt a sense of security from Rain's rough and warm palm.

This was also Naya's first time holding hands with a stranger, and her cheeks flushed slightly. But soon, she suppressed her shyness and said softly, "Baron Rain, please close your eyes, and I will take you to the dream world."

"Okay."

Rain closed his eyes immediately.

The next moment, he felt something strange, as if he was soaring high into the sky, rising endlessly. Suddenly, in front of him appeared a sea of green.

He had arrived in a strange world.

This was also a vast and boundless world.

But it was clearly divided into two colors. One was the area where Rain currently was, filled with large patches of green trees and colorful flowers.

The trees here were peculiar, growing in mid-air about four to five meters above the ground, and Rain could clearly see their winding roots.

In addition, there were huge flowers in various colors like green, pink, and red, woven together. These flowers were incredibly tall, even taller than the seven to eight-meter-high trees. Each flower's diameter was larger than the water lilies he had seen in his previous life.

Looking into the distance, he could see a large area of black misty mountains.

The black mist over these mountains seemed to slowly creep towards the green world, although very slowly, but Rain could sense this trend.

Was this the dream world?

Rain thought to himself.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of flapping wings, and turning his head, he saw a woman with a body like a bird, just like the emblem, appearing in mid-air.

"Oh, Baron Rain, it seems you're not surprised by my current appearance."

"Miss Naya, your current form is very similar to your family's emblem," Rain smiled.

"Oh, that's right! I remember now, Knight Lawrence showed his emblem and visited you that day," Naya suddenly realized.

"That's right, Miss Naya, shall we set off now?"

"Of course, and we're heading towards that black area. To save time, I'll fly with you, but there might be a slight sting, Baron Rain, so please bear with it."

Rain nodded, but the next moment, he realized something odd about her words.

There was something strange about the way she said that!

Rain couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

As Naya flapped her wings and circled in the air, she used her transformed hands to grab Rain's shoulders, and the next moment, she flapped her wings vigorously.

After several flaps, Naya's face turned red, and she managed to lift Rain.

"Baron Rain, your spiritual power is so strong. Could it be that you're also an apprentice wizard?" Naya asked in surprise.

Rain was amazed at how Naya had figured it out, but after thinking for a moment, he decided not to deny it.

Since he was already in the dream world and about to fight alongside Naya, continuing to hide his identity would not only be disadvantageous for the upcoming battle but also undermine the trust between teammates.

So, Rain nodded and said, "Yes, I'm a knight and also an apprentice wizard."

"And not just any apprentice wizard, right? Baron Rain, your spiritual power is probably at least that of a second-level apprentice wizard or higher."

Rain smiled but didn't confirm or deny it.

"No wonder! It seems we won't have any problems defeating the monster this time." Although Naya was struggling to carry Rain while flying, she couldn't hide her smile.

It was a mix of pain and pleasure!

"Miss Naya, are we heading to the black area ahead?"

"Yes, Baron Rain, it's the black area ahead. That's where the monster is, and only by defeating the monster guarding the dream node can this dream world return to normal, and my nightmare will end."

"However, once we enter that black area, you'll need to be careful."

"That area will occasionally spawn monsters with strength comparable to formal knights, and the deeper we go, the stronger the monsters will be." Naya said seriously, her expression grave.

Rain nodded to indicate his understanding.

Soon, they landed at the border between the green and black areas, and by then, Naya was already sweating profusely.

"I can't fly in the black area, so we'll head in that direction from here." Naya pointed to a black mountain in the distance.

"Alright, Miss Naya, you take a rest, and I'll clear the way."

Rain thought for a moment, took out his war hammers, and started walking forward.

The trees and flowers in the black area seemed to be painted black, with no significant difference in shape from those in the green area. However, their surfaces were pitch-black, emitting a faint black mist that made it difficult to see the scenery in the distance.

Suddenly, a level 3 danger sense warned Rain of a potential monster lurking ahead.

As the footsteps of Rain continued forward without any change, the warning indicated that the monster's strength was not formidable and posed little threat to him.

"Whoosh!"

A leopard with various-sized black lumps all over its body suddenly pounced, aiming for a bite at Rain.

Naya immediately shouted, "Be careful!"

"Bang!"

Rain swung his heavy hammer with astonishing agility, and in an instant, the black leopard was torn into four pieces, splattering black liquid all around and corroding the surrounding plants with a sizzling sound.

"Your strength is truly formidable, Your Excellency Rain," Naya exclaimed, surprised that Rain had easily defeated a monster that she had struggled with earlier.

"Miss Naya, are there many monsters of this strength?" Rain's eyes flickered as if he had an idea.

"Of course, there are plenty of these monsters along the way, but their strength will only increase!" Naya nodded.

However, the next moment, she was perplexed.

Rain sheathed his dark-skinned war hammers and chose to walk ahead with his bare hands.

This action left Naya momentarily confused, unsure of Rain's intentions.

Although the monster's strength was inferior to his, was it necessary to fight bare-handed?

She was about to remind him, but hesitated, unable to voice her concern.

Naya recalled her previous statement, which should have been clear enough.

Read the error-free version at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar First Release of this Novel.

Since Rain, the 'Iron Hammer Baron', had his reasons, she decided.

However, her confusion didn't last long as the next attacking monster soon provided an answer.

"Whoosh!"

"Bang! Slap!"

Rain took a quick step forward and punched the baboon covered in black lumps, hitting its abdomen and folding it in half."

Then, with a left hook, he shattered its head.

The headless baboon's body twitched a few times on the ground before becoming still.

Naya's eyes widened in surprise.

The 'Iron Hammer Baron' had also trained in fist techniques?

It was rare for a noble to practice such techniques.

Rain shook his hands, unaffected by the small corrosion from the black liquid due to his Iron Skin lv3.

At this moment, he glanced at the system prompt and felt a slight joy:

[Your Kadath's Fist Technique has improved. Experience +27]



[You have experienced a battle. Knight (Extraordinary) experience +14]



Although the experience reward was not substantial, he hadn't expected to gain experience for his newly learned Kadath's Fist Technique in the dream world.

While the Knight (Extraordinary) profession granted little experience, it didn't matter to Rain, who wanted to quickly improve his fist technique's experience to reach lv5 or even lv6.

After stopping Naya several times from helping, Rain single-handedly dealt with nearly ten waves of monster attacks.

From the initial single monster to the later two or three, Rain handled them all alone.

This left Naya puzzled about Rain's intentions.

Was it chivalry?

Did he not need her help and could handle everything himself?

Or did His Excellency Rain have feelings for her, so...

After clearing the twelfth wave of monsters, Rain successfully raised Kadath's Fist Technique from lv3 to lv4.

At the same time, he and Naya arrived at the foot of a mountain where a tall cave appeared before Rain.

"Your Excellency Rain, the monster is inside. Once we defeat it, I can control the node, gain control of this dream world, and restore it to its original state," Naya said, her face serious as she waved her wings and pointed to the cave ahead.

As Naya finished speaking, heavy footsteps echoed from within the cave.

Rain's expression turned solemn; he could sense the powerful aura of the monster inside, which had clearly reached the level of a Great Knight.

Moreover, it seemed to surpass the initial stage of a Great Knight, as its pressure was more intense than what Norman had described.

After a few seconds, a four-legged creature with an additional pair of hands emerged, holding a steel fork. It was at least four meters tall, covered in green scales, resembling a giant green-scaled lizard standing upright.

"Ahaha, little harpy, you're here again?"

"Huh? You've brought a helper this time."

"Hahaha, interesting." A loud laughter emanated from its large mouth.

"This is a Nightmare Dragonman, possessing even greater dream control abilities than me. But according to our family's ancient records, Nightmare Dragonmen were supposed to be guardians of the dream world, not destroyers," Naya explained.

Rain's heart skipped a beat, and he carefully examined the massive creature before him.

Soon, Rain noticed that the monster's body seemed to emit faint black mist, barely perceptible to ordinary people.

"Damn! I didn't expect its strength to have truly reached the Great Knight level, and it doesn't seem like it's just entered that level. This is troublesome!" Naya, having just realized the Dragonman's enhanced strength, spoke worriedly.

"Perhaps the strange and evil power in the dream world has grown stronger. Your Excellency Rain, if you're concerned, let's abandon this mission," Naya suggested, biting her lip as she felt the enemy's strength exceeded what she and Rain had agreed upon.

Rain contemplated for a moment before shaking his head; he knew that if they abandoned this mission, the monster's strength might increase further, making it nearly impossible to defeat next time.

"How can we know we can't defeat it if we don't try?"

"What are you two discussing?" The loud voice echoed.

The large Nightmare Dragonman didn't seem to consider Rain and Naya a threat, showing no urgency to attack and instead taunted them.

"Miss Naya, let me try first." Lein said as he drew out the Boar Head Hammer from his back and quickly chanted the wizardry spell 'High Temperature Field'.

It had been a long time since Lein had synchronized the activation of a spell in combat.

Two seconds later, the air around Lein's body slightly rippled.

"Break Limit!"

"Great Strength lv3," Lein muttered to himself.

Immediately, the ground beneath him exploded, and Lein shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, charging straight at the towering Nightmare Draconoid.

The Nightmare Draconoid was slightly startled by Lein's initiative to attack, but its reaction was swift as it immediately wielded its steel fork to block.

"Clang!!!"

With a furious strike, Lein's Boar Head Hammer clashed violently with the Nightmare Draconoid's steel fork, emitting an ear-piercing sound of metal on metal.

Caught off guard, the Nightmare Draconoid was forced to retreat three steps by Lein's hammer blow, while Lein himself was sent flying into the air by the Draconoid's immense strength.

The huge disparity in size put Lein at a disadvantage, and despite his best efforts, he could only manage a stalemate.

However, being pushed back by a small opponent made the Nightmare Draconoid furious.

"Roar!"

It let out a loud roar and charged towards Lein, but at that moment, a fierce whirlwind suddenly blew from the side, causing a sandstorm that temporarily blinded the Draconoid, disrupting its attack as it covered its eyes.

The one who made the move was Naya, who was flying in the air, flapping her wings, and casting some kind of wizardry or innate ability.

Lein's eyes narrowed as he thought to himself, "Good opportunity!"

"Power Surge!"

"Earthsplitter Hammer!!"

Lein, who was leaping in the air, suddenly inflated like a balloon as his muscles expanded! At the same time, he raised his blackened Boar Head Hammer high above his head, his body taut like a drawn bowstring, and slammed it down on the Nightmare Draconoid who was covering its eyes!

The Nightmare Draconoid, sensing the danger, hastily raised its steel fork to block.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew!

The Draconoid felt a violent vibration in its steel fork! It couldn't hold on! With the effects of 'Light as a Feather', 'Multi-Oscillation', and 'Precision lv3' enhancing his attack, Lein's full-force strike immediately caused the steel fork to slip from the Nightmare Draconoid's grasp.

Without giving the Draconoid a chance to catch its breath, Lein continued to swing his heavy hammer around the Nightmare Draconoid.

The Nightmare Draconoid, now without its steel fork, was relentlessly beaten, its green scales shattering one after another.

At the same time, the damage from the High Temperature Field spell began to show! After just seven or eight seconds, the towering Nightmare Draconoid could no longer hold on, and with a miserable cry, it dragged its battered body, attempting to escape.

But its attempt to flee only hastened the end of the battle!

Lein struck again with his heavy hammer, hitting the fleeing Nightmare Draconoid's spine, instantly knocking it to the ground, unable to stand up again.

Then, with another heavy blow, Lein smashed its head, causing it to shatter!

Naya, witnessing this scene, was left speechless, her eyes wide open.

Throughout the entire fight, she had only used the Harpy's innate ability 'Sandstorm' once, and Lein had taken over the battle, pressing down on the Nightmare Draconoid until he emerged victorious!

The outcome was completely different from what she had expected, where they would barely scrape by with a narrow victory or even face defeat.

Could this level of strength belong to a mere Knight?

Naya's mind was filled with questions.

After dealing with the Nightmare Draconoid, Naya quickly flew into the cave and cast a wizardry spell, causing a dense green dot to appear in the cave and rapidly expand, dispelling the black mist!

Large areas began to turn green, and the plants gradually regained their colors.

Naya, clearly in high spirits, descended from the air and transformed into her human form, spinning gracefully with a smile, making the hem of her light green waistcoat dance.

"Baron Rein, thank you!"

"Recently, I've been having nightmares every day. These black areas have been rapidly encroaching on me. I know that if the green areas are completely destroyed and I can't hold them back, I might be forever trapped in my nightmares."

"Miss Naya, you're welcome."

Both of them woke up almost simultaneously, and Hamilton and Lawrence, who had been anxiously waiting on the side, immediately understood the situation upon seeing Naya's smile. They heaved a sigh of relief, and their faces lit up with smiles.

"It seems like the problem has been solved, hasn't it?" Hamilton said with a smile.

"Yes, thank you, Lord Hamilton, for your recommendation. If it weren't for Baron Rein, it would have been difficult to solve my problem so smoothly." Naya curtsied to Hamilton as a gesture of gratitude.

"By the way, Baron Rein, do you want to visit our family's library now, or would you prefer to choose another time?"

"Miss Naya, if possible, let's go now."

"Of course, Baron Rein, please follow me. Knight Lawrence, please entertain Lord Hamilton."

Naya led Lein to the library located on the second floor of the villa.

The room was extremely spacious, with a floor made of marble-like material, adorned with numerous reddish-brown concentric circles, equilateral triangles, squares, and other patterns that exuded a sense of mystery. The walls, several meters high, were lined with bookshelves filled with various books.

"Baron Rein, what type of books are you looking for? Perhaps I can help you search for them," Naya said as she turned to Lein and asked proactively.

Lein glanced around at the vast collection of books and couldn't help but frown slightly. Clearly, it would be impossible for him to read through all the books within a month, let alone by himself.

Additionally, there was no guarantee that the Usman family hadn't hidden wizardry books or those related to the path of a wizard in secret compartments or other hidden places.

Moreover, in the dream, Naya had already learned of his identity as a wizard apprentice.

After some thought, Lein felt that being direct might be better. He said, "This, Miss Naya, I'd like to know the requirements for an apprentice wizard to advance to a full wizard."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end