It was an enormous, oval-shaped, silver-white building that looked like a pot lid turned upside down on the ground.

Its surface was composed of countless diamond-shaped, silver-white glass panes arranged like a honeycomb, giving it a rather unique appearance.

The building occupied a vast area, roughly the size of an ordinary middle school.

Now, it was shrouded in a misty rain.

Against the backdrop of the gloomy sky and curtain of rain, its once-brilliant silver-white exterior lost its usual dazzling light, taking on a dimmer, grayer hue.

At the building’s main entrance...

two armed guards stood watch with serious expressions.

To one side of the gate stood a sign with "Chenxi Security Bureau" written in large, eye-catching black characters.

According to the information Hu Qi had obtained, this was the Sword Holders’ headquarters.

He was so certain because he could keenly sense faint traces of a Nightmare aura occasionally emanating from within the building.

Although the aura was faint, it couldn’t escape his sharp senses and was clearly detected.

Back on the train, if Nira’s Dream Eye hadn’t suddenly lost control and leaked a trace of Nightmare Power, Hu Qi never would have been able to track this place down so quickly.

Just then, the owner of the breakfast stall seemed to have finished his work for the moment and was sitting off to the side, taking a break.

Because it was still early and raining, the stall wasn’t very crowded.

Including Hu Qi’s, only three tables were occupied.

Seeing his chance, Hu Qi popped the steamed bun from his hand into his mouth and smiled.

"Sir, these steamed buns are delicious. How many years have you been set up here?"

Hearing this, the pot-bellied owner sitting nearby immediately perked up.

After all, anyone who runs a food stall loves to hear that their food is delicious.

A smile spread across his face as he replied.

"You’ve got good taste, young man. I’ve been selling breakfast here for, oh, sixteen, seventeen years now.

All the neighbors around here know my stall. It’s only slow today because of the rain. On a normal day, you’d be lucky to find a seat.

But asking a question like that, and dressed the way you are... you’re not from around here, are you?"

Hu Qi didn’t deny it, just nodding.

He casually mentioned he was a tourist.

"You must be here to see Heart Lake, then?"

The owner chuckled.

As the largest city in the Yu Country after the Capital, Chenxi City was naturally well-developed in every aspect.

That included its tourist attractions.

The most famous of these was a scenic area featuring a heart-shaped lake.

Legend had it that any couple who visited would be blessed with a long and happy life together.

As a result, it was always bustling with tourists. During holidays, it was so crowded you could barely move.

So, Hu Qi’s excuse was a reasonable one.

Hu Qi remained noncommittal.

Then, his gaze drifted, seemingly by chance, to the building across the street. He asked casually,

"By the way, sir, what’s that Security Bureau for?"

The owner followed Hu Qi’s gaze and scratched his head.

"That place? It was already here when I set up shop. Been around for a long time.

I’ve heard the old-timers say it was built not long after the Yu Country was founded. Back then, though, the Security Bureau was just a few bungalows.

Then, three years ago, they rebuilt it into what you see today."

As he spoke, the owner pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offering one to Hu Qi, who waved it away.

The owner just smiled, unbothered. He stuck the cigarette in his own mouth, lit it with a lighter, and took a deep drag.

"This Security Bureau... some people used to say it was a department for security research. Now, others say it’s been turned into some kind of research institute. They even say this type of building was designed for stargazing.

Of course, that’s all just hearsay. The place has armed guards out front, so nobody dares get too close.

About a year ago, some kid from the neighborhood was messing around on his shuttle and accidentally flew inside.

Next thing you know, his whole family was taken away. They haven’t been seen since. I heard the kid got more than ten years..."

The owner had clearly been asked this question before, because he launched into a long, rambling story.

Of course, it wasn’t just because the owner was a natural chatterbox.

Another reason was that during their conversation, Hu Qi had used a form of psychological suggestion from his Hypnosis Technique.

It made people lower their guard and speak their minds freely.

As he listened to the owner, a thoughtful look appeared in Hu Qi’s eyes.

According to the information he’d gotten from Zhou Ze, Nightmares had only started appearing sporadically three years ago.

But Ouyang Shuokong had told him that wasn’t the case—that Nightmares had occurred in the past as well.

The Zhou Family had records related to this, but their contents weren’t very clear.

There were only a few oral accounts.

The only certainty was that Nightmares were not a recent phenomenon.

Otherwise, this so-called Security Bureau wouldn’t have been established so long ago.

The owner’s story now seemed to confirm it.

Hu Qi wasn’t particularly surprised by this.

’After all, this world is different from the Earth Star World.

Earth Star is in the Intertidal Zone, a region relatively barren of Extraordinary Power. If it weren’t for Mother Earth bringing with her vast amounts of Spiritual Sea Water and allowing the foundational will of the Earth Star World to strengthen,

Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy would never have appeared, let alone given rise to an Extraordinary System like the Secret Martial Artists.

The Nightmare World, on the other hand, is different. It lies in the Shallow Wave Zone, enveloped by the Spiritual Sea Water of the Sea of Sumeru.

Its foundational will is far stronger than that of the Earth Star World. It’s impossible for it to lack Extraordinary Power.’

Just then, an old man of about seventy came walking down the street.

The old man was dressed plainly. Though he didn’t stand as straight as a younger man, he carried himself with a unique sort of calm and refinement.

He was holding an umbrella and had just reached the breakfast stall.

The moment the owner saw him, he immediately stood up and greeted him enthusiastically.

"Elder Feng, you’re early today! The usual?"

"Yes, the usual."

The man known as Elder Feng nodded. There seemed to be something wrong with his vocal cords, as his voice was slightly hoarse.

The old man got a bowl of congee, a plate of pickled vegetables, and three steamed buns, then found a place to sit down.

From his spot to the side, Hu Qi quickly deduced the old man’s identity from their conversation.

’Looks like the old man is some kind of leader at the Security Bureau. He comes here for breakfast every day, so he must be a regular.’

But they had barely exchanged a few words when another customer arrived, forcing the owner to cut the conversation short and get back to work.

After all, despite the cold and the rain, as long as a working stiff was still breathing, they had to go to work.

Hu Qi didn’t pay it much mind.

He ate his meal at a leisurely pace.

His gaze was fixed on the distance, occasionally landing on the people entering and exiting the main gate of the Chenxi Security Bureau.

Lost in thought.

By the time he had finished his third basket of steamed buns...

Nearby, Elder Feng finished his own meal and got up.

Seeing this, Hu Qi also stood up to pay.

However, he walked off in the opposite direction, turning into a nearby alley.