Chapter 52 Nightmares
Upon hearing the ringtone of her phone, Jima instinctively lifted her head. What greeted her was a familiar yet strange glass window, below which was a bustling street.
She felt a sense of unreality, as if she had just awoken from a very long dream. In that dream, there were demon races, magic, women, and… a silver-armored hero.
Something felt off; no, why was I sleeping here?
She realized she was sitting on the company couch, in the break area. She was familiar with this place, as she often rested here during lunch. Next to it was a vending area filled with colorful snacks, and she had proudly told her classmates that her company was very humane.
Oh no, this is wrong. I shouldn’t be here. Why do I still have to—
“… consolidate into a time capsule.”
The alarm clock on her phone interrupted her thoughts.
No, I can’t disturb my colleagues.
Jima instinctively straightened up and reached for her phone, quickly turning off the alarm.
At that moment, a sharp pain shot through her philtrum. Jima touched her philtrum, and the familiarity of the gesture struck her like a hammer, jarring her foggy head.
Something is not right; was the dream real?
Fragments of memories began to surface from the sea of her mind, transforming into familiar scenes that flashed before her eyes.
A black, desolate, and wild land, the body of a headless demon race compatriot at her feet in a bloody arena.
With a wave of her hand, the city before her was engulfed in flames.
Countless maids in the palace, blissful and joyful.
A sharp pain in her chest; a silver-armored hero was infinitely approaching, adorned with a sun made of enamel on his chest, lifelike.
The final memory fragment filled her with immense reluctance; she had turned into a woman? Or a succubus?
Jima found it hard to accept, hesitating in her thoughts. Someone called her, “It’s two o’clock, aren’t you getting up?”
Startled, Jima quickly stood up; she still had work to do.
As she walked to her workstation, she felt as if she had taken a long nap, the dream too lengthy to distinguish reality from fantasy.
“Why are you still dawdling? The code you submitted this morning has significant issues.”
A head with graying hair rose behind a computer screen in the work cubicle; it was her technical supervisor.
“Oh, I’m on my way.”
She hastily went to her computer.
However, the sharp pain in her philtrum seemed determined to notify her of something—something important, something she had forgotten.
“I…” she placed her hand on the mouse, deep in thought.
For some reason, the trash can beside her had fallen over. As she bent down to pick it up, she saw it filled with takeout containers, one containing a fiery red soup topped with prickly peppercorns, an overwhelming smell of spice wafting toward her.
Right, they ordered super spicy hotpot for lunch. I accidentally got burned.
Jima furrowed her brow and set the trash can back upright. She patted her face to shake off her dazed state.
Strange thoughts in her mind faded significantly, and her brain felt “clear” again.
Jima opened the IDE (used for coding), waiting for the loading screen.
The desk was spacious, and on the pristine white surface lay a group photo, her gaze involuntarily landing on it.
In the photo, a woman with long black hair was smiling broadly as she hugged a young man in a plaid shirt and black-rimmed glasses. The woman looked pretty, her oval face exuding a gentle vibe.
Warmth filled Jima’s heart, making her feel that all her hard work was worthwhile.
As long as I have a car and a house, and my character is honest. So what if I’m a bit dull? In the dating market, I’m still quite sought after. Matchmaking agencies were particularly enthusiastic; they found her a gentle and understanding girlfriend.
Her girlfriend was very understanding. She relentlessly pursued a great investment opportunity through relatives, and Jima unhesitatingly gave all her savings to her girlfriend to invest.
Before long, I could also provide my girlfriend with a new luxury home, just like her relative’s. It was time to meet the parents; last time her parents were hospitalized and urgently needed money, I could definitely make a good impression on my father-in-law.
Filled with beautiful hopes for the future, Jima’s phone vibrated. A gentle oval face appeared on the screen, along with a line saying, “Kissing girlfriend.”
“Hello~ what’s up?”
Jima smiled.
“Let’s break up.”
“What?”
Jima’s expression froze.
“Don’t look for me; I’ve already moved away.” The voice of the woman turned cold, “By the way, don’t forget to pay back your loan.”
“What?” Jima glanced at the date in the bottom right corner of her computer, “Isn’t today April 1st?”
“Remember to pay me back.”
The call ended.
Jima hurriedly called back.
“Hello, the user you are trying to reach is busy….”
The woman’s voice was chillingly cold.
Jima snapped back to reality and quickly opened her online banking app to check her account balance. The long string of numbers was reduced to a single zero.
Not even a penny of interest left!
Furious, Jima slammed her hand on the desk.
Another call came in, “Are you a relative of Xu Ziqiang?”
“Yes, he’s hospitalized and urgently needs surgery.”
A wave of despair washed over her like ice water.
It felt as if someone had accelerated time. Everything before her sped up; looking for her girlfriend proved fruitless, and instead, she discovered the previous victim and learned that her girlfriend was a scammer. Searching for lawyers only revealed that the other party hadn’t broken any laws.
From disbelief and anger to sorrow, she ultimately groveled, begging for money to survive.
Surroundings transformed into a hospital room, the smell of disinfectant mingling with the scent of death. The long numbers on the bill before her mocked the meager amount of borrowed money.
“How could you be so foolish?”
Her mother’s reproach echoed in her ears.
Time fast-forwarded again.
Finances became increasingly strained, creditors knocked at her door, crammed into a rental apartment, spending the New Year with Jima.
The day after her leave, the company HR informed her she was fired. Although time had sped by, the pain and fear did not diminish in the slightest.
Time slowed down again.
Jima dragged her legs, standing on the rooftop, familiar concrete below. She raised her cracked phone screen, praying her ex-girlfriend would return the money. If she could just get a little money, she could get through this. Her final hope only produced a cruel reply.
She fell onto the concrete with a “thud,” shattering into pieces.
The concrete wriggled beneath her, wrapping her like oil, dragging her into the depths. The darkness was cold and piercing, gnawing at her soul, devouring her life.
No!!
She raised her head, just in time to see the last flicker of white light extinguish above her.
Jima struggled fiercely, reaching toward the place where the light had disappeared.
A greater force pulled her downward. An influx of despair flooded her mind, and countless moments of hopelessness flashed in her consciousness—when she saw her balance at zero, received her ex-girlfriend’s call, saw the medical bills…
Despair felt like ice, and her muscles gradually stiffened. Her arms became so rigid that she could only twitch her fingers.
Clearly, she knew she wouldn’t swim back up. She understood that no one would save her, but why was she still reaching out? Why couldn’t she give up?
It was time to give up.
Jima felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. Her trembling fingers calmed down, her eyelids fluttering, gradually closing.
At that moment, it felt as though a flashbang had been glued to her eyelids. The blinding white light surged into her eyes, instantly driving away her drowsiness, significantly diminishing the cold that enveloped her.
As for the darkness?
Jima actually began to long for it; she felt as if her eyes might be blinded.
“Damn it, high beam dog!”
Jima suddenly opened her eyes, only to see the boy who had stabbed her through the chest right before her. Startled, she instinctively pushed against his chest but couldn’t budge him at all.
“Jima! Jima! It’s me, George!”
Jima’s body jolted awake, and she became fully alert. The dream shattered, the room flooded with white light, the source being the divine emblem in George’s palm.
In an instant, she remembered everything. She had nearly been counterattacked by the “Nightmare Potion.”
Under the white light, that icy despair was receding in her heart.
For some reason, her eyes suddenly became moist, as she choked out, “George, I’m still alive.”
“Alive is good.” George suddenly embraced her tightly.
Jima rested her head on his shoulder, feeling her heartbeat quickening.
The suspension bridge effect, a despicable and shameless suspension bridge effect.
Jima thought, raising her hands, hesitating, and ultimately holding George’s chest tightly, as if confirming that the person before her was real.
After a moment, Jima’s mind completely cleared, realizing she had been promoted to “Bronze,” becoming a nightmare. She spoke up:
“George, thank you.”
“Mm.”
As Jima used her words to attract George’s attention, she secretly loosened her grip and grabbed the empty test tube, stuffing it into her nightgown.
“I almost died.”
“What happened?”
George released Jima.
“I… I seem to be getting stronger.” Jima hurriedly organized her words, making sure not to let George know she had drunk the Nightmare Potion; otherwise, all her previous lies would be exposed. “The nightmare caught me.”
“You should have told me; you need a guardian.”
“I… actually…”
As Jima spoke, she clutched the test tube between a few fingers, trying to get it into the pocket of her nightgown. “I don’t really know.”
Damn, why does it feel like this nightgown is shrinking suddenly, so tight.
“You should have told me beforehand.” George said, pulling out a nearly full ginger oil potion, “You were just struggling to get this into your mouth; that’s very dangerous.”
“I know, but—ah!”
The test tube was too slippery; her fingers slipped, and it flew out, tumbling onto the carpet.
“What was that?” George asked.
“Probably a flying cockroach from the south.” Jima said earnestly.
George raised the glowing divine emblem, looking at the test tube rolling on the ground. Inside the test tube, a trace of pale purple potion lingered, emitting a colorful, dreamy glow in the white light.
“Potion? Jima! Where are you?”
Jima had quietly slipped out of bed. Hearing George’s voice, she immediately dashed toward the door, her fingertips just brushing the doorknob.
But her tail was yanked back, sending a wave of pain through her tailbone, and Jima fell to the ground, being dragged back.
“No! Help, I was wrong, I was wrong!”
She stretched her hands desperately toward the door, shouting, but she was forcibly pulled back onto the bed.
