The Nightmare Dimension, the Nightmare Domain, the Black Dream Kingdom—call it whatever you liked, as long as you knew it was all the same place.
Dreams had layers, though they were not simply nested dolls. If he had to compare them to something, Su Ming would say they were somewhat like the so-called Eighteen Levels of Hell in the East.
The different layers did not necessarily contain one another. They were more like beads strung together by invisible, winding threads.
But no matter what, the Nightmare Dimension should have been the lowest level, like garbage thrown into water—it would eventually sink to the bottom on its own.
The seabed held silt, garbage, and all manner of bizarre creatures. It was nothing like the coral reefs and beautiful schools of fish people saw in travel advertisements. In the truly dark depths, there was often only dead silence, along with unknowable dangers lurking within.
After receiving some assurances from The First Dream, Su Ming led the group into the nightmare through the "proper" channel—or rather, they sank to the bottom.
They landed on a desolate stretch of land, yet contrary to its appearance, the place was brimming with the aura of life. Everything nearby seemed alive. The writhing ground beneath their feet and the twisted ruins of buildings beside them all seemed to have opened their eyes and begun staring at them.
They really did have eyes. Even a section of broken wall Su Ming reached out to touch was covered in densely packed, blood-red eyeballs.
Perhaps his touch had made them sense danger. The eyes instantly shut as one and withdrew into the wall. When he looked at it again, it was nothing more than ordinary brick and cement.
Not far away, a silent forest lay shrouded in dense fog. With