The Rampaging Black Mud Monster / Servants Inside the Castle

Desire Dream Street is true to desire. The streets here are shrouded in pink cigarette smoke, and people wear the thinnest clothes that they can take off at any time, or they walk naked in gold and silver.

They can mate anytime, anywhere, and satisfy their desires at will.

Then, amidst a frenzied ecstasy and reaching the pinnacle, she was drawn into the body of the Black Mud monster, creating a doll within a double embryo.

Sorrow Dream Street is a gathering place for all those who are sad.

They seem to be reliving their saddest and lowest moments.

On a rainy day, someone was holding an umbrella, crying as they ate Skewers.

Some people kneel on the ground, banging their heads against the wall, roaring hysterically, until their heads burst open and their brains splatter, then wait for the next resurrection, repeating this process.

Rain of Black Mud will fall from the sky, covering everything.

Nightmare Street is a place where nightmares devour each other, venting their frustrations in a battle royale-like frenzy, fighting relentlessly from nightfall to dawn, until only one survives. Then the next day, the cycle continues.

Chapter 185 The Mad Black Mud Monster

As the sky was dyed orange-red by the setting sun, the food festival officially came to an end. Having enjoyed beautiful singing and delicious food, the satisfied guests chatted and laughed as they left the Paris Branch School and went home.

Meanwhile, the teachers and students inside the academy excitedly gathered around the female lead who had given such a stunning performance that day.

"That was truly amazing, Teacher Hiratsuka! I never knew you had such a beautiful voice. It's incredible! Our team's evaluation this time will definitely improve significantly," the team leader said excitedly.

"Haha, teacher, you flatter me." Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled awkwardly, she had never expected that singing with Marta inside her would produce such an effect.

"Ms. Shizuka Hiratsuka, you look so beautiful! You're like a superstar! Please take a picture with us!" The girls from Chiba School ran over with smiles.

"Ah, um, sure." Shizuka Hiratsuka paused for a moment, then smiled and agreed.

"Teacher Hiratsuka ~! We also..." The French girls from the Paris Branch School also gathered around.

"Sure, don't rush, one at a time." Shizuka Hiratsuka felt as if she had returned to her student days, the time when she was most popular. As expected, she was a good woman who could do what she wanted to do. She couldn't help but feel proud.

Although I don't know why, these girls were staring straight into her eyes, just like that strange guy from before, but oh well.

Shizuka Hiratsuka, still smiling, took photos with each of the France girls who hugged her tightly, their hands always landing on awkward spots, their eyes seemingly sparkling.

After that, everyone cleaned up the surrounding area, covered the tools and kitchen utensils with cloth, and put them all inside the shed for use the next day.

Other useful items are placed on a cart and taken to where they are needed.

The teachers and students who came to help also went back to their respective places, because they still had to prepare ingredients for tomorrow. Shirou, and Erina Shizuka Hiratsuka went to the cooking class assigned to them.

"Shirou, the dream world has undergone new changes; your method is very effective," Da Vinci said approvingly.

"That's great!" Shirou exclaimed, clenching his fist.

"Shirou, you've really grown up. You used to be a kid who only knew how to act recklessly, but now you can find solutions on your own. I'm so happy," Da Vinci said, wiping away nonexistent tears.

"This is all thanks to everyone's help. If it were just me alone, I would have had no choice but to give it my all. And stop talking like you're watching your own child grow up," Shirou retorted.

"Hey, Da Vinci, you really aren't suited for older women," Da Vinci said, cupping her face in one hand.

'Older age is no problem at all, but the woman aspect is debatable,' Shirou thought to himself, but decided not to say it aloud. He looked at the woman seriously and said, 'Then, shall we launch our counterattack tonight?'

Da Vinci nodded. "Yes, now that we've blocked the Black Mud monster's access to unlimited energy, we're just facing larger, more disgusting monsters. With so many powerful allies, it's not a problem at all."

In the kitchen, Shirou explained the situation to Shizuka Hiratsuka and Erina.

"I'll be going to that other world tonight to deal with the monster that caused it, so I'll leave things here in your care, Master and Erina," Shirou said.

"Wait, Shirou! Do you really want to go and face this dangerous monster alone? I don't agree!" Shizuka Hiratsuka refused.

"Teacher, there are many companions over there, seven or eight Servant, there won't be any problem," Shirou explained.

"While I really don't want to touch those disgusting monsters you described, and Chaldea has absolutely nothing to do with me, if the enemy is a bad guy who could harm my important guest, then it can't be said that I have nothing to do with them. So I'll go too," Erina said, putting down the bowl she was mixing Netherlands sauce.

"That's right, let's all go together and take care of that monster as soon as possible. Besides, Marta has a counter-effect against that monster, right?" Shizuka Hiratsuka said. For whatever reason, as a teacher, she couldn't just let her students go on their own adventures.

"No, because it's a completely different world over there. Once we go in, we'll be fighting very quickly, and there's simply no time for anyone to adapt to the environment. Besides, Teacher and Erina, you have more important tasks to do." Shirou said earnestly to the two of them.

Indeed, today's event was very effective. Those who participated in the event will likely no longer be sucked into the dream world there. However, those who did not come here will not have their psychological trauma disappear, even if they defeat the Black Mud monster.

Through word of mouth from those who have found healing today, many more people suffering emotional wounds will surely come here tomorrow. As people of the same world, we also have a responsibility to help them emerge from the trauma of their nightmares.

Shirou continued, "So I'm counting on you guys for tomorrow's food party and performances. The response today was great, and I expect even more people will come tomorrow. It would be such a shame if they came and we were delayed because of things in the dream world."

Fighting in other worlds is something we can do with Chaldea Servant, but healing them with food and song is something only we in this world can do. And if we can lessen the effects of dreams on these people, it will be easier for me fighting over there."

"Since you put it that way, I understand, but you absolutely must ensure your safety and not do anything reckless! Otherwise, as your teacher, no matter what I say in the future, I will never let you do anything reckless again." Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at the boy seriously and warned him.

"I understand, thank you, teacher." Shirou nodded solemnly, then looked at the blonde girl with her arms crossed and said, "If I can't make it back in time tomorrow morning, I'll leave the cooking to you."

"Hmph, who cares about you! As a chef, if you can't deliver the delicious food your guests are looking forward to on time, you're third-rate!" Erina huffed and turned her head away, then continued, "So I'll prepare the ingredients for takoyaki and pancakes for you, just make sure you get there safely by nine o'clock when it officially starts!"

"Oh! Thanks, it's a date!" Shirou replied with a determined smile this time.

After saying goodbye to the two, Shirou returned to his dormitory, lay down on his bed, and quickly fell asleep.

"Come with me." The silver-haired man's voice dragged Shirou into his dream, leading him along the transparent, infinitely long arms in the void into the world of dreams.

Merlin grabbed Shirou by the back of his clothes and pulled him down. They floated directly from the sky into the dream world, now hovering thousands of meters in the air.

Shirou had already strengthened his body with magic beforehand, barely managing to withstand the cold and strong winds. Because they were at a height above the clouds, the view upwards was clear and unobstructed. It was nighttime here, with a pale blue crescent moon hanging high, indicating that it was already late at night.

"Merlin, what's the situation inside?" Shirou turned to the man whose long silver hair was billowing high in the wind pressure as he fell and asked.

"Don't be impatient, Shirou, you'll find out as you read on," Merlin said.

As they plummeted downwards, passing through layers of clouds formed by dense fog, the landscape below had drastically changed. Black Mud monsters, blending into the darkness, roamed back and forth on the ground. The magnificent and imposing palace could still be seen, though it was now mostly destroyed.

The rest of the place was unrecognizable; the tea party venue and the place where we had grilled fish for dinner were all gone, and the earth was covered in black.

Shirou opened his Magic Eye and analyzed the structure of the new buildings below.

The former forest has been replaced by black city walls, which cover and surround the land on four sides, dividing it into four urban districts.

The first street: A street for those whose excessive desires cannot be fulfilled, who want everything, yet ultimately forget even what they truly desire; the Fallen Dream Street.

The second street: a street for people immersed in creating life and love, whose physiological reactions are beyond their control; Desire Dream Street.

The third street: a street of sorrow, grief, cowardice, depression, and those unable to escape it; the Sorrow Dream Street.

The fourth street: a street of violence and destruction, where people, unable to vent their frustrations, seek to solve everything with violence; Nightmare Street.

These spaces are separated yet interconnected, with the only exit being inside the Black Mud monster's belly.

"What on earth is going on?" Shirou frowned as he looked down at the space. Even though he knew this was a dream world, and he had accepted the idea of a fairy tale, it still gave him a sense of absurdity and comicality.

"Ugh, disgusting, isn't it? That monster is setting its own rules. Yes, it seems to think of itself as the master of this world, like a god who is detached from everything else." Merlin said with a sarcastic yet self-mocking laugh.

The Black Mud Monster created a city without permission, then divided it into various regions, assigning people with different dreams to their respective regions. These regions contain: beautiful dreams that fulfill desires unfulfilled in reality; erotic dreams indulging in love and lust; heartbreaking dreams; and violent nightmares of killing and being killed.

There are indeed people who insist on dividing humanity into different classes. And there are quite a few who become complacent simply because they are slightly better than the person in front of them.

But those who think this way are merely indulging in wishful thinking; those who actually try to do it are madmen, and will inevitably face failure in the end.

But this Black Mud monster used the power of dreams and the energy of the Holy Grail to do just that. He was a self-righteous madman doing things that only the creator could do.

Notice: It seems there will be a discount starting today.

!!

There should be a discount promotion today; I'll post the update this afternoon. I'll try to update more this week. Whether it can become popular depends on this.

The average daily subscription is still stuck at 790. 1,000 average daily subscriptions is a watershed. If it reaches that, Bookke will recommend it; if it doesn't, it can only quietly survive.

Although it would be a victory for a newcomer to simply finish writing a book, I still really hope to achieve something.

In conclusion, thank you all for your continued support.

All I can say is that as long as the average daily subscription reaches over 1,000, I will insist on setting aside time every day to update at least 8,000 words, until I reach 1.5 million words.

Chapter 186 The Servant Inside the Castle

Inside that castle, black monsters writhe on the black earth. They are like clones of the Black Mud Monster, less than two meters in size, with half of their bodies protruding from the ground and the other half hidden underground or in the walls, spying on the people around them.

Those indulging in revelry in their dreams seem to be blinded, completely unaware of the danger approaching them.

A wealthy man driving a Ferrari, sporting thick hair wax, was embracing seven beautiful women of different styles and regions. The only thing they had in common was that they were all curvaceous, sexy, and tall. The two-seater sports car was crammed with seven women, making him feel like he had assembled an Eight-Nation Alliance.

They wore hot, super-short dance dresses, some shaking champagne bottles up and down before popping the corks. Golden bubbles shot into the air, soaking the clothes of the beautiful women and making them cling to their bodies, eliciting screams from the audience.

The man was driving recklessly with a skirt on his head and a long-haired black woman sitting on top of the seat behind him, her thighs clamping his head between her legs.

As they rounded the corner, the Black Mud monster's clone, which had been waiting for a long time, opened its enormous mouth, as big as a gatehouse, and its entire body transformed into a black door, swallowing the charging man and his car whole.

Then the Ferrari and the woman on it transformed into pink skulls, passing through the Black Shadow monster's clone, and finally turned into black sand and fell to the ground. Except for the man who was swallowed into the Black Mud and struggling in pain, everything else was just a phantom.

The same applies to other areas; it's like livestock raised for consumption are being released into a slaughterhouse, ready to be harvested at any time. Then, the men who are devoured lose their memories after absorbing all their emotions, only to be reborn in the same neighborhood, and so on.

"In any case, this is a dream," Merlin reminded the boy.

"A dream..." Shirou realized this only then, because everything felt so real.

"Yes, Shirou, that's a dream." Merlin repeated.

"I understand." Shirou frowned as he looked at the scene on the ground. Even in a dream, being swallowed by that Black Mud again and again was not pleasant. No wonder he had so many dark circles under his eyes, and some people were even afraid to sleep.

These Black Mud clones truly feed on the emotions generated in people's dreams. When the emotions reach their peak, the Black Mud clones will absorb the person into their body, even corpses will be integrated into the Black Mud on the ground, and then resurrected, and so on. It's like a perpetual motion machine of nightmares.

"Is that enough? Let's go rejoin the others. We can't end this until we defeat that Black Mud monster," Merlin said.

"I understand, hurry up!" Shirou clenched his fist, his eyes fixed on the four Black Mud monster clones below that were constantly devouring the dreamers, and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, yes, Shirou is just like Artoria, stubborn and serious, and he likes to force people to do things against their will. It's really asking too much of them," Merlin replied helplessly.

Shirou, led by Merlin, arrived at a place where there was a black wall that he hadn't been able to see before. But when Merlin tapped the wall with his staff, the black veil that had been covering the area instantly opened up as if a curtain had been drawn back, and the castle they had visited before appeared there perfectly.

The buildings, a blend of French and English styles, the thirteen-ringed fountain, and the vibrant flowers blooming in the gardens, may be the only remaining greenery and color in the world.

The plants outside had been covered and destroyed by Black Mud, and even the green trees had turned into twisted, black, dead trees in monstrous shapes. Only inside the castle were there still normal flowers and plants.

"What is this?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"This is a method of using illusion magic in the dream world. By using the environment here, we can erect a wall outside, and even the Black Mud monsters won't be able to find us. Isn't that convenient? Nightmares are very good at doing this kind of thing," Merlin said with a smile.

"Yes, Merlin, you're quite reliable when you're doing things properly. I've known that for a long time. In fact, you always do it this way," Shirou said.

"That's really too much! I'm here to help, and I'm being lectured?" Merlin shrugged helplessly, but there was no hint of complaint in his words.

"Thanks so much, Merlin," Shirou said, looking at the Magus of Flowers.

"Then let me possess you and go play in the outside world for a few days," Merlin said with a smile.

"No way!" Shirou refused decisively. For the sake of his own safety, he absolutely could not agree to such a thing.

During their conversation, the two walked into the middle building.

At this moment, Emperor Louis, along with Chevalier d'Eon and others, as well as Astolfo, Elizabeth, and Hime no Toki, were gathered in the inner hall. During this time, they had tried many methods, but ultimately, none had proven particularly effective.

"Everyone, I'm back," Shirou called out as he entered the hall.

"Shirou!" The silver-haired girl smiled upon hearing the boy's voice, but she quickly recovered and suppressed her smile, walking up to him and saying, "You were really slow getting back, but it's good that you're back..."

"Yes, I'm back."

"Master! Meow missed you so much." Tamamo Cat pounced on her.

"Shirou, what fun things have you been doing outside while you were away from me?" Astolfo mimicked Shirou's actions, rushing up and hugging his neck, asking from behind.

"I'm very busy too, thinking of recipes and making all sorts of dishes based on customers' preferences," Shirou said.

"Is that so? I want some too!" Astolfo said with a smile.

"Alright, alright, let's stop chatting here and get down to business," said Da Vinci from Chaldea side via the holographic projection.

"Have you found a way to defeat that dark, sticky monster?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.

"Yes, thanks to Shirou's efforts, we've cut off the possibility of the Black Mud Monster sucking humans from the outside world into this dream world. So at least the Black Mud Monster's energy is no longer limitless. As long as we continue to find ways to weaken its power, defeating it together won't be difficult," Da Vinci said.

"But this is a dream world. Even if we use Noble Phantasm to completely evaporate this monster, there's no guarantee that the problem will be solved," Elizabeth asked.

Merlin explained, "Yes, there is actually only one way: to return the monster to its original state and separate Queen Mary, who was first swallowed by the Black Mud monster. I have been observing what is happening here with my Clairvoyance, so I know that the Black Mud monster's true form is actually a black book. It transformed into this strange body by absorbing Queen Mary into it."

Da Vinci interjected, "I speculate that this is why the true form of the Black Mud monster has remained lingering near the palace. If Queen Mary, as the core, could be removed from the Black Mud monster's body, then the monster would certainly be greatly affected."

"But what should we do? That Black Mud is terrible, even if Servant gets touched by it."

At this moment, Emperor Louis, who had been silent all along, stepped forward and said, "Leave Marie's matter to me."