This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 58: Cherish Dream
More than ten hours later, after passing through seven waves, only less than 30,000 people were left in Langcheng.

People gradually turned from pain to anger and actively resisting stress, which is much better than the previous life.

The eighth wave began, and Nie Weiyang stood in front of the crowd with a sword.

His coat was a little tattered, his light armor was covered with scratches and chips, and the dense scratches on his shield almost gave the entire shield a layer of oldness or camouflage. He had given his raincoat to a non-combat professional who was shivering with cold when he returned to the camp to rest, and he didn't even look at who the other person was.

He simply took out a thermos that showed the expiration date of its contents and drank the last few mouthfuls of blood. Then, he carefully closed the thermos and put it in his backpack - this thing would be very expensive in the future.

"We've been fighting group battles and collective challenges all day. The final round will likely change format, from a group battle to a boss battle or a solo dungeon. As long as we can get through this, the rear will be safe." Nie Weiyang said to the people around him. He turned his back to the crowd, took off his sunglasses, and checked for a crack on one of the lenses. "Check your status, rest, and get ready."

There were about two thousand men on his battlefield, each one the elite of the elite. Over the past ten hours, most of them had reached Level 10. They were even more battered than he was, some even missing limbs. However, as long as they weren't completely incapacitated, no one retreated.

No matter what the future holds, at least at this moment, people are putting the word "working together" into practice.

Everyone present looked equally miserable, exhausted from the battle. It was hard to tell what their identities were before the battle, but they all uttered the same words one after another: "Understood!"

At this moment, the world seemed to expand with this sound, the sky and the earth changed, the wind and clouds were paying attention, and all things in the new world were looking at humans with malice and cruelty.

Nie Weiyang looked up at the sky. The blood moon was slowly expanding, and streams of bright blood light spread through the vein-like network. Soon, a scarlet halo spread out, covering the world and entering everyone's mind.

[The final stage of [Blood Moon Rising] [Cherish Dreams] has begun. The leader-level hostile target [Dream Eater] has appeared. Other hostile units in the current area have suspended their activities.

This target will devour the player's dreams, placing those addicted into an eternal slumber. The target possesses a shield equal to 300% of its health. This shield decreases by 10% for every 1 players awakened in the current area. Players must confirm their [Faith] before awakening. Players under 14 years old are not currently permitted to access the dream.

[Entering a dream…]

……

Xiang Feng felt like he had just had a long dream. He woke up from his hammock, the hot summer wind making him uncomfortable.

But today is my day off...

The man stretched lazily and looked at the nearby river. His wife and son were still playing on the river bank. He smiled, turned over and got out of the hammock, and walked towards his wife whom he had not seen for a long time.

...No, that's not right. We were together before going to bed, so how could it be 'long time no see'?

And my son...

"Dad!" The distant voice was clear and bright. Xiang Feng opened his arms habitually and let the child jump into his arms.

He remembered that he was about to leave the army, and his superiors had asked him if he wanted to stay and develop his career. He called his wife and children...

...It still doesn't make sense. Why are you calling? He's right beside me...

Xiang Feng held the child in his arms and looked at his wife coming towards him, suddenly feeling a little confused.

He found that he seemed to have trouble remembering her face.

……

Wei He felt like he had just had a long dream. He woke up from bed feeling a little cold.

Weird, it's summer, why is it so cold?

Wei He touched his arm and felt it was a little damp and had goose bumps.

That's odd, he thought. The humidity isn't high today.

Forget it. I'm going out to play with my friends today. My family said they'll move to a new house with a better location and environment. As long as we go there, grandma's health will get better.

Dad is back from the army, and life is getting better, which is great.

Wei He left the bedroom and strolled lazily. Passing by a plaque that read "Live in Peace and Tranquility", he was suddenly stunned by a scene in the living room.

—An old man lay on the sofa, his eyes closed and his lips purple...

It was like a nightmare hammer hitting the back of his head, making him dizzy. He couldn't remember how he screamed for help, or how he called an ambulance, but the result was...

Yes……

… Grandma is still alive! The family moved into a new house and everything is fine!

Wei He sat on the balcony with a peaceful smile.

...Cherish Dreams. As the name suggests, it means 'a dream that is worth cherishing' or 'a dream that is worth treasuring'.

In this dream copy, players will dream about the past. The copy content will randomly select a fragment from the player's most impressive memory and adjust it to the development that best suits the player's needs, while also providing hints and hypnosis to the player.

If players can resist the temptation, they will receive rich rewards. If they cannot resist the temptation, they will be lost in the dream and become a vegetable. In the early days of the new world, humans did not have so many available resources and technology, so the vegetable people could only gradually weaken and die.

Nie Weiyang has entered this type of copy more than once and is very experienced in it.

Moreover, his mental value still shows as 'unreadable'...

This was clearly problematic. His mental stats were indeed high, very high, but they definitely didn't exceed the New World system's display range. Regardless, the hypnosis from a major early event couldn't do anything to him.

Amid the thunder, Nie Weiyang opened his eyes.

He did not wake up from the safest sleeping place in his memory as he would normally do when he entered "Xi Meng", as if he had just escaped from a long dream. Instead, he sat by a fire, holding a broken sword in his hand.

Judging from his movements, before he 'woke up', he was stirring the wood in the fire.

Nie Weiyang didn't act rashly. Instead, he calmly pushed aside the half-burned firewood and added two more pieces of dry wood. Then, he put the longsword he'd been using as a firewood stick into his backpack and turned to look around. As he moved, his pure white bangs gently fluttered in front of his eyes, obscuring his bloodshot eyes.

This is a cave that is not very wide. The entrance is mostly covered by a huge rock. A strong wind blows through the gap, and a damp smell pours into the cave, spreading in all directions as the air flows.

Nie Weiyang saw five tents. He knew that one of them belonged to him, while the owners of the other four tents were doing their own things...

A warrior was polishing his door-panel-like sword, an arcanist was pondering something in a book, a doctor was organizing his toolbox, and a shooter was disassembling his gun for maintenance.

They seemed so close, yet so far away.

"Old Nie." A voice came from behind him.

Nie Weiyang did not respond. He heard a melodious flute sound coming from the distance outside the cave, penetrating the wind and rain and falling into his ears.

"Old Nie!" The voice sounded again.

Nie Weiyang remained silent, merely stirring the fire. Four of his teammates passed him by. First came the curious Arcanist, then the Warrior, who couldn't let go of him. Then came the Archer, accustomed to coordinating with them, and finally the Healer, who couldn't let go of anyone. One after another, they left the cave, leaving the safest place.

A new group of people had appeared where they'd been. This time, two summoners, a mage, and a martial artist. Then, another group, this time three assassins and a healer... and the last, four seemingly ordinary, almost unmemorable individuals.

It changed again and again, appeared and disappeared again and again, and Nie Weiyang kept guarding the fire. Outside the cave, the wind and rain were raging, breaking the huge rocks, and blood flowed in and gathered into a lake, gradually submerging the fire.

"Old Nie," the distant, disembodied voice said, "You've always been at the forefront, never looking back at us."

Nie Weiyang stared at the pool of blood in silence.

"Every time you come back here via Ximeng, you're like this..." the people standing behind him asked, "Look at us. Take a look. Is it really that difficult?"

"It's not difficult." Nie Weiyang said, "I just don't want to."

A child's voice asked, "Why, Brother Nie?"

"You were here too... You died on the battlefield at the age of eight. We feel so sorry for you." Nie Weiyang sighed softly, "As for why I didn't want to..."

He stood up and turned around to look at those people, those former comrades and friends who died in different ways.

"Because I will move on," he said calmly. "I said before that I didn't want to see you one last time, but none of us can decide fate—but this is indeed the last time. Old and new, real and fake, forgive me for making this choice. Although I never come here to ask for your opinion."

Facing the phantom, Nie Weiyang had no attachment. He touched the 'faith' mark and his figure faded away silently.

The dream lost its support and shattered.

Nie Weiyang opened his eyes again.

Holding a sword and shield, he walked quickly towards a certain place following the spiritual mark left behind.

Now, except for the children who are still unable to clearly understand their own beliefs, everyone is immersed in dreams. Before the battle, those children have been placed in the relatively safest place by adults.

No one near the battlefield would wake up faster than him.

Of course... no one will see what he is about to do!

(End of this chapter)