Chapter Ninety-Four: There Must Be Love Tomorrow!

Faced with Zhuo Ke’s assault, Zhao Tianhe and the others had no choice but to strike back.

Fortunately, although that thing’s attacks were fierce, everything else about it, including its speed, was utter trash. Under the group’s combined assaults, it was suppressed at once and soon shattered into fragments again.

But in the next instant, the monster appeared before them, perfectly whole once more.

“How does it feel?” Zhuo Ke’s doll face could not form any expression, but its voice was infuriatingly smug.

“Keep going.” More and more curses gathered in Zhao Tianhe’s hands as he spoke blankly. “Even if there’s no flaw, we can beat one out of it.”

He still remembered that the reason Alyssa had awakened was that he had repeatedly farmed her more than thirty times.

“Beat one out of it? Heh heh— I think I get what you mean, but—”

Before Zhuo Ke could finish, it was swallowed once again beneath a storm of attacks.

Twenty minutes later.

“My time is up.” Elly looked at Zhao Tianhe in alarm.

“Don’t worry. Even if you’re still here, it won’t matter if your magic runs dry.” Artoria drew a deep breath. She was wearing only her long blue dress now; her armor had vanished.

After sustaining such a relentless battle for more than twenty minutes, even with her formidable recovery talent, she could no longer keep her mana armor active any longer.

“It’s no use, big brother. Alyssa has no strength left either... I’m so hungry...” Kneeling on the ground, Alyssa stared in terror at the doll that had appeared yet again.

“Thirteen times. Is that the limit?” Zhao Tianhe shouted at the doll before him. “Wake up, child! Stop letting this demon use you! Your nightmare is over!”

“Hahahaha—” Watching Elly slowly fade away, Zhuo Ke felt thoroughly reassured. “Idiot! Nightmares come in all shapes and forms, and this brat’s nightmare doesn’t have the weaknesses you think it does.”

“No matter how many hundreds or thousands of times you destroy this form, you will never make this thing ‘adapt’ to its nightmare!” Zhuo Ke roared arrogantly. “This is my strongest trump card! Invincible! The fear of the present! Hahahahaha—”

“The fear of the present?” Looking at Zhuo Ke, sword raised and laughing madly, Zhao Tianhe suddenly had a singular thought.

“Run!” he shouted to Alyssa.

“Huh?” Alyssa froze for a second, then turned and fled.

Zhuo Ke also hesitated, then gave chase, but the problem was that its speed was far too slow. It could not catch Alyssa at all.

Hmph, trying to force me to change forms by running? Zhuo Ke thought as it chased her, then suddenly slowed its pace. Fool. I’m not taking that bait. I’ll just drag this out with you. Anyway, my master never gave me a deadline for carrying out the final command. If I don’t kill you, worm, I will never release this dungeon or this invincible form. Besides... I can’t release it even if I wanted to...

In the distance, Alyssa collapsed exhausted to the ground.

Artoria looked at Zhao Tianhe with concern. “What do we do? That thing really seems to have no flaw at all. Are we just supposed to keep circling and running? But if I’m not here and it breaks through Elly’s protection again to take Alyssa’s body, then we truly won’t have any way to stop it!”

“That’s true. But what do you think it means to fear the present?” Zhao Tianhe asked, frowning.

“The present...? Hmm, perhaps being unable to move forward?” Though she did not fully understand his meaning, Artoria answered seriously. “Have you figured out that thing’s weakness?”

“Maybe. Or maybe not.” Zhao Tianhe shook his head, his brow still knitted. “To be honest, I think the most likely possibility is that thing is bluffing me. Nightmares should be adaptable, but if I’m right, then besides ‘adaptation,’ there ought to be another shortcut to dispel them. This dungeon was made artificially, unlike a natural one. It may be more dangerous overall, but its rules have more loopholes.”

“Oh, right. Alyssa, are you scared of that old Barton guy?” Zhao Tianhe called toward Alyssa’s ear.

“Eh? Old Barton? Mm, that frightening old man! The school gatekeeper, really scary, but...” Alyssa thought for a moment. “He’s a really nice person. The other children are all scared of him and always spread rumors that he killed people and wiped out entire teams in the dungeon and things like that, but he’s a good man. Once, when I was being harassed by some weird guy, he was the one who chased him off. And whenever other boys teased me, he would somehow always appear without me noticing. I’ve never even spoken to him, but just having him around makes me feel safe...”

“I see... so it isn’t fear, but more like a guardian spirit?” Zhao Tianhe realized that his original line of thought had been wrong from the very beginning.

If it were truly one nightmare colliding with another, how could they just happen to neutralize each other and bring Alyssa back to her senses? More likely, it would only intensify the nightmare further.

“So that’s it. The flaw in a nightmare isn’t sheer violence, but love and hope! Only then can a passage be opened inside the nightmare!” Zhao Tianhe clenched both fists, speaking with confidence. “If it were anyone else, I might really have no solution, but for that child alone, I know how to deal with it!”

Seeing his expression, Artoria suddenly felt he had never seemed more reliable.

“Alyssa, once you’ve recovered your strength, go in again. I’ve found that monster’s flaw.” Zhao Tianhe smiled. “Let’s go meet it again. Of course, if it doesn’t work, our escape will depend on you.”

“Mm.” Alyssa nodded.

“Good. Don’t let ‘possibility’ go to your head.” Artoria praised her. “Always leave yourself a way out.”

Ten minutes later, Alyssa’s strength had mostly recovered, and the three of them launched another challenge.

“Even if the plan fails, we can still try the sustained bombardment tactic.” Standing on Alyssa’s shoulder, Zhao Tianhe smiled. “No matter what, I won’t give up. If we can’t get out, then I’ll play with it until the very end!”

In the distance, Zhuo Ke, strolling along almost leisurely, spotted Zhao Tianhe and the others charging toward it and raised its short sword to meet them.

“Good, just this distance.” Zhao Tianhe gauged the gap between them and said to Alyssa, “Stop. Only use defensive attacks. Don’t advance further. Save your strength.”

At his words, Alyssa obediently halted and only used light bullets to push Zhuo Ke back.

“What’s this? You want to play a war of attrition with me? Hahahaha—” Zhuo Ke laughed. “Useless, fool! I can wear you down until you die!”

“I’m only doing my task.” Zhao Tianhe smiled. “Kid, I know what’s bothering you. But I also know that what truly troubles a man is not those things.”

“What nonsense are you talking about—”

Zhuo Ke was about to curse Zhao Tianhe out when its body suddenly stiffened.

A tiny figure appeared beside Zhao Tianhe.

It was a little blonde girl, about ten years old, wearing a black dress and sandals, with her hair tied into twin ponytails.

What’s going on? This form is becoming unstable?! Zhuo Ke tried to speak in panic, only to realize that it could not even get the words out. How is that possible?! Why would this form resist so strongly?!

This doll form was different from the others. When Zhuo Ke seized other forms, it still had to expend a bit of effort, though that effort was as insignificant as starting a car with a key.

But when it took this form, it found that the form was hollow, completely empty. Yes, the will in this form was utterly void; using it was like climbing straight into a car already started and simply pressing the gas.

That meant the child was terrified of this nightmare to an extreme degree, so terrified that she did not even want to face it. That was why Zhuo Ke had said this nightmare would not collapse from repeated defeats; it had not been lying.

For that very reason, even after discovering that this form had certain irreparable flaws, it had still resolutely chosen to use it.

Immortal body and total defense penetration — what more could anyone ask for?

And yet now, this cheat-like, absurdly powerful form was exhibiting severe abnormalities, and the source of it all was that blonde little girl.

“Why are you crying?” The girl looked at the doll and smiled, extending her left hand. “Come on, let’s play together.”

“Aaah... aaahhh...” The doll’s mouth, stitched together with black thread, split open, revealing the cotton inside as it let out a childlike wail.

“Aaahhhhh...” Black tears flowed from its button eyes, staining the entire face of the doll.

Bastard! How is this happening?! Such overwhelming emotion! Aaaahhh! Within the soul domain of the nightmare vessel, Zhuo Ke felt the terrifying psychic storm filling the surrounding space and roared in panic.

Countless memories and thoughts began flooding into Zhuo Ke’s mind.

“How is it? This is the reward you get for clearing the mutated boss in the simulation dungeon!” The boy was bragging proudly. “What? Not my name on it? That’s because the little girl’s parents said I was the one who got them through it, so they gave it to me! You think a child with her parents accompanying her could beat a mutated demon king?”

“Yes, I’m the number one clear-er...” “Go on, praise me more. I’m amazing, right?”

“Dreams? The future? Becoming a hero?” “So troublesome. Isn’t it way more fun right now?”

At night, the boy curled up in terror beneath his blanket...

“I...” “How despicable...”

“Even the me of the future will definitely be a useless failure...”

“Don’t...”

“I don’t want to become a despicable adult... Tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll definitely stop playing, definitely stop showing off something that isn’t mine...”

“I, I don’t want to be like that anymore! I really don’t!”

Yet the next day—

“This is nothing. Just clear it a few more times.”

“If only we ran into a mutated demon king, then it’d be easy. With me here, you’ll definitely pass.”

At night—

“Tomorrow I really won’t play anymore!”

“I won’t play anymore!”

“No! I need to save up for my own gear. Only then...”

“Ah, right. I do have a proper reason...”

“Clear it five more times, and I can get my own equipment. Even if it doesn’t have the special mark of a mutated demon king...”

“I really won’t play anymore, please, I really won’t... I, I shouldn’t have used your things to show off. I, I want to become a hero! I shouldn’t be like this!” The doll fell to its knees, its face pitch-black, crying out loud. “I’ll work hard tomorrow! I swear!”

“Adolescent troubles, huh...” Zhuo Ke’s mind was repeatedly battered by the boy’s fear and regret over his past and future selves, and his head had grown somewhat fuzzy.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s vacation right now.” Elly said with a smile. “Festivals are supposed to be happy, after all. It’s not a big deal if you don’t work hard tomorrow either. Because I don’t plan on working hard every day, either.”

“Ah...” The doll froze. “I don’t need to feel guilty?”

“Mm. Since that thing was given to you, it belongs to you.” Elly nodded. “You can show it off if you want, because you’re one of Lady Elly’s teammates.”

“El... Elly?” The doll’s tone calmed. It rose to its feet and looked at Elly.

“Thank you.” “And also, I...”

A nightmare vessel containing a boy popped out from behind the giant doll. The giant doll began to slowly dissolve into smoke. Before its final words could even be spoken, its head had already turned to ash.

“Sure enough, Alyssa’s little sister is very popular! Hahahaha—” Zhao Tianhe laughed smugly, only to have Elly stomp on his little toe.

“Today’s mission doesn’t include affection points!” Elly jumped up and grabbed Zhao Tianhe by the ear, protesting in displeasure.

Yet the system prompt had already recorded the affection points.

Meanwhile, after the giant doll dispersed, an equally massive Zhuo Ke made of black mist stood on the ground.

“Bastard...” Zhuo Ke glared at Zhao Tianhe and extended its claws, roaring, “You little bastard! What the hell was that teenage angst nonsense?!”

“Is this the final boss battle? Why aren’t you using your other forms?” Zhao Tianhe asked, somewhat puzzled.

“They’re gone. All gone...” Zhuo Ke muttered under its breath, then its entire body suddenly exploded.

And that was not all. Every part of it after that kept exploding in turn.

At last, the black mist was utterly reduced to nothingness.

“Oh, I can control the dungeon now.” Alyssa suddenly said.

“It died that easily?” Zhao Tianhe laughed and shook his head. “And what was that just now? So ashamed it self-destructed on the spot?”

Though everyone remained baffled, no one pursued the matter further, because from Alyssa’s condition it was clear that Zhuo Ke was truly, thoroughly dead.

And in truth, that was exactly what had happened. Zhuo Ke was indeed dead, but not because it had been ashamed into self-detonation. It had died because of the side effects of that giant doll form.

The giant doll’s functions were indeed terrifying, but it had flaws too. Its immortal-body ability was actually a powerful causality-based effect, one that sustained the concept of the present by denying the future and thereby forcibly ignored damage. In essence, it was a permanent delay of injury.

To break that ability with magic, one would need at least a tenth-level law-class forbidden art.

However, once broken, all the denied futures would come surging back. Simply put, every bit of damage that had been endured before would instantly manifest all at once.

And the amount of damage Zhuo Ke had accumulated was enough to kill it more than twenty times over.

The result was exactly what Zhao Tianhe and the others had witnessed: it exploded on the spot, not even leaving ashes behind.