Dazzling light illuminated the stone cavern, and the nightmare's terrified cries rang out from within the golden glow, as though it had encountered the greatest terror of its life.
"Ah... wh-what is this... No, let me out! Please, let me out..." the nightmare cried in terror.
The Millennium Puzzle continued to shine brilliantly, illuminating the stone cavern as bright as day. After a long while, the light drew inward and gradually faded. The Millennium Puzzle slowly returned to calm, leaving behind a card that drifted gently to the ground.
The image on the card was none other than the nightmare.
Player EXP +59245.
As the nightmare was sealed away, Xiao Wen gradually emerged from the seal as well. He opened his eyes, a strange look appearing between his brows.
"Was that just an illusion? I got out of the illusion? No, that's not right. I don't remember doing anything! Wait, why am I Level 10?"
Xiao Wen muttered to himself, but his gaze was soon drawn to the card before him and the dark ball of light.
"A card? Could it be..."
Lowering his head, Xiao Wen glanced at the Millennium Puzzle on his chest and picked up the card.
Monster Card: Nightmare.
Nightmare, 2 Stars; Soul Race/Dark
ATK: 0; DET: 500
Description: One of the Dream Eater's sacrificial offerings left behind from ancient times. It escaped for unknown reasons. Though it had no attack power, it possessed powerful illusion abilities and could create illusions for enemies.
Duel Effect: When this card is destroyed, you may control one monster on the enemy's field for 1 turn.
Summoning Effect: Can possess a monster's body and control it for 2 minutes. The duration of control is affected by the monster's level and grade.
"A nightmare that specializes in illusions? Was this thing what fooled me just now?"
Glancing at the strange formation on the ground before looking at the card's effects, Xiao Wen muttered in a strange tone.
He picked up the final sacrificial light orb and placed it into his backpack. Then, a notification suddenly appeared.
Ding! Congratulations, player Halfway Through the Mortal World. You have collected all nine sacrificial offerings. Would you like to open the Gate of Sacrifice?
Open!
Xiao Wen chose without hesitation.
Inside his backpack, the nine sacrificial light orbs fused together. Vaguely, it seemed as though an enormous gate rose up, with two lamps placed on either side. Dim flames flickered atop them, casting the patterns on the gate into stark clarity.
It was the image of a monster. Its body resembled a bear's, its nose an elephant's, its eyes a rhinoceros's, its tail an ox's, and its legs a tiger's...
It seemed like a collection of all the animals in the world.
"This is the Dream Eater?"
Xiao Wen stared at the monster pattern before him without speaking. The light orbs formed from the nine offerings appeared before him, and within them floated the phantoms of the nine offerings.
"Mengwu..."
A deep sound echoed out. The phantom of the Dream Eater engraved upon the gate emerged, raised its elephant-like trunk, and inhaled sharply. The sacrificial light orbs floating around it were all sucked into its nose. Only then did it let out two satisfied growls and turn its gaze toward Xiao Wen, the sacrificer.
Specks of light fell from the sky and entered Xiao Wen's body. Then... then the Dream Eater vanished...
Ding! Congratulations, player Halfway Through the Mortal World. Luck +100.
A notification rang out as Xiao Wen watched the Dream Eater disappear before his very eyes.
"Th-that's it? What the hell was that? I worked my ass off for so long, and you just gave me a hundred Luck?"
Xiao Wen's mind was now full of question marks.
He had braved countless dangers and fought his way through all nine trials to get here, only to receive this little reward?
"..." Xiao Wen.
At that moment, Xiao Wen felt like he had ten thousand curses he didn't know whether he should say.
Don't say them... Don't say them... Be civilized... Stay calm...
Xiao Wen silently comforted himself.
No matter what, this trip had not been entirely without gains. At the very least, he had obtained Ice Element Control from the Frost Crocodile Dragon in the second trial. He had also gotten a purple-grade longbow from killing the centaur archer sacrificial offering in the sixth trial.
With those two items, they were enough to soothe Xiao Wen's shattered heart.
A ball of teleportation light appeared and wrapped around Xiao Wen, making him vanish from Dream Eater's Forbidden Ground.
When his vision returned, Xiao Wen found himself standing at the edge of a cliff. Less than half a meter away was a bottomless abyss.
"Good thing I didn't fall..."
He swallowed and checked the time, his expression suddenly turning strange. "Damn, it's already three in the afternoon. I got so into the game that I forgot the time. But why didn't Sis call me to eat?"
After muttering to himself, Xiao Wen wanted to keep grinding, but his empty stomach would not allow it.
He found a safe place to log out, opened his eyes, crawled out of the Gaming Pod, and stretched lazily.
Feeling the warm sunlight streaming in through the window, Xiao Wen's face was filled with indescribable comfort.
He opened his bedroom door and sniffed the air.
ε=(ο｀*))) Sigh...
There was still no familiar aroma of food.
He knocked on Xiao Ya's door, but no one answered. Xiao Wen gently pushed it open and saw Xiao Ya lying peacefully inside her Gaming Pod.
He silently left the room and closed the door.
"This sister of mine is letting games ruin her life. Now she can't even be bothered to cook lunch for her obedient, adorable, handsome little brother. Fine, let Chef Xiao show off his skills today!"
Xiao Wen sighed and headed for the kitchen of his own accord.
Although Xiao Ya had cooked on 364 out of 365 days every year for the past several years, Xiao Wen was still confident in his own cooking.
Food was meant to be eaten, wasn't it?
As long as it was edible, why care whether it tasted good?
It was precisely because he adhered to this philosophy that...
The food Xiao Wen made had been mercilessly given a label by Xiao Ya—Dark Cuisine.
"Come on, let's see what grand feast I should make for Sis today."
Xiao Wen rubbed his hands together and strode energetically to the refrigerator. The moment he opened its door, he froze.
Empty... It was empty...
No vegetables?
No way, right?
After turning the kitchen upside down in search of something, Xiao Wen gave up.
What he did not know was that Xiao Ya had originally planned to buy groceries today. However, after seeing the balance in Xiao Wen's bank card, she had been completely shocked and hurried back to question him, forgetting all about buying groceries.
"Forget it. I'll just order takeout."
Shrugging as his stomach began protesting loudly, Xiao Wen picked up his phone and browsed through the options.
After taking a look, Xiao Wen casually ordered a two-person set meal that cost over two hundred.
In the past, Xiao Wen would never have dared to be so extravagant.
But now... he had money!
Would you like to use VX Pay?
Xiao Wen tapped yes, entered his payment password, and settled the bill.
Ding!
Payment successful.
Congratulations, dear user! You have won our free-order grand prize. You are our 24,102nd free-order user. The full amount of this purchase will be refunded to your account balance.
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