Her vision went black, and her consciousness grew heavy as she woke from the dream.
Inside the tent, Mia, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes and sat up straight. Her gaze swept across the surroundings, but her expression remained calm and composed.
She had studied the zombies of Rancho Cucamonga. She knew exactly what this was—Zombie King Nightmare's eerie ability: Dream Invasion.
"Even if I'm in the shelter right now, that doesn't an this is real."
Mia assessed the situation in her mind. Without hesitation, she drew her tachi and made a shallow cut on her arm. A thin line of crimson blood welled up from the wound.
Other than that, nothing happened.
Just as she expected…
The pain still felt off.
She was still inside the dream.
"What a boring little trick..."
Mia muttered to herself, her sharp eyes scanning the tent.
"Co out. I know you're in my dream."
The mont she spoke, a shadowy figure materialized inside the tent.
His skin was deathly pale, and his mismatched eyes—one black, one white—radiated an unsettling, almost supernatural aura.
Zombie King Nightmare.
His expression darkened, his presence filled with violent hostility. He was furious—his carefully crafted dream had been seen through by a re human.
And worse, she had dismissed it as nothing more than a boring little trick.
This was a first. No one had ever done this before.
This woman was way too arrogant.
But Mia remained unfazed, eting his gaze with calm indifference.
"You're here because of Ethan, aren't you?"
Nightmare didn't bother denying it.
"That's right."
Mia continued, her voice steady.
"You're not his match. Not even close."
Nightmare's expression twisted.
"Impossible!" he spat, unwilling to believe it. "I took down the Rancho Cucamonga shelter and beca a ruler in my own right! Even the people in San Bernardino fear ! Why the hell wouldn't I be his match?!"
Mia's tone remained neutral, almost casual.
"Oh? You took down Rancho Cucamonga because Ethan killed the shelter's second, third, fourth, and fifth-ranked Awakeners. San Bernardino fears you because Ethan wiped out two of the so-called 'Bernardino Four Riders.' Your entire rise to power… has been in his shadow."
Nightmare's eyes widened in shock.
"What?!"
The truth hit him like a sledgehamr. His jaw clenched, sharp teeth grinding together as veins bulged on his face.
"No… I don't believe it!" he muttered, shaken to his core.
Taking down Rancho Cucamonga had always been his greatest achievent—the proof that he had risen to power as a Zombie King.
But now, he was being told that his success had only been possible because of Ethan.
In an instant, all his pride, all his accomplishnts, were shattered.
He couldn't accept it.
Without Ethan, he wouldn't have even beco a ruler.
And yet, here he was, thinking of Ethan as his rival.
The realization was humiliating.
Like a clown who had been dancing in soone else's shadow all along.
"Damn it!"
A deep sense of defeat surged through Nightmare's heart.
Mia continued, her tone as indifferent as ever.
"You couldn't even handle Genesis Biotech's cyborgs. Calling yourself the ruler of Rancho Cucamonga is nothing but an empty title. Your strength isn't enough to truly dominate. At best… you're just a slightly stronger zombie."
"No! That's impossible! I am a ruler! Shut up!" Nightmare's emotions spiraled out of control, his rage teetering on the edge of madness. Mia's words were like a steel blade, stabbing straight into his pride.
But she remained unfazed.
"If I'm not mistaken, your real body is sowhere outside the shelter. Once I wake up, I can kill you."
"You—!" Nightmare's expression twisted with fury, his brows furrowing tightly.
Then, he saw Mia gripping her tachi, already standing up from the bed.
His heart dropped.
Because if what she said was true, and she really woke up… then in a real fight, his physical strength might not be enough to stop her.
"Just you wait! One day, all of you will die!!!" Nightmare spat out his final threat before vanishing into thin air.
And in that instant—
Mia woke up again.
Her eyes snapped open.
She was back in her tent.
Just like before, she sat up, drew her tachi, and made a small cut on her arm.
The sharp sting jolted her nerves, sending a familiar rush through her body. Her cells seed to co alive.
"Mmm. That feels right."
She confird it—this was the real world.
Nightmare had probably been too rattled by her words and threats to stick around.
"Tch. Weak ntality. That was all it took to break him?"
Outside the tent, a commotion had erupted.
Nightmare hadn't just invaded her dreams—he had controlled others as well. Most people had already woken up, shaken but unhard.
But so… weren't so lucky.
Like Chris.
"Monsters! You're all monsters! You're trying to trick again, aren't you?!"
He was swinging a machete wildly at his teammates, his eyes filled with paranoia.
People scrambled to get out of his way.
"Uncle Chris! Calm down! We're not monsters!"
"Lies! You think I'll fall for that?!" Chris raged, his mind still trapped in the nightmare.
Brandon, thinking fast, tried a different approach.
"Uncle! Just hold on! Let introduce you to my online girlfriend!"
Chris froze.
He turned his head toward Brandon, his grip on the machete loosening slightly.
"Oh?"
Brandon let out a long sigh of relief.
Looks like the online girlfriend card still worked…
But then—
Chris's face twisted into sothing even more deranged.
His grip on the machete tightened again.
"Your online girlfriend is a monster too!!!"
"Oh, co on!" Brandon's eyes widened as he dodged frantically.
What the hell had Chris dread about to make him this paranoid?!
At that mont, Mia stepped out of her tent, walking toward the chaos.
Chris spotted her.
His crazed expression didn't fade—in fact, his eyes filled with grief. His voice trembled, almost breaking into a sob.
"Mia! I'll avenge you!"
"Huh?" Mia blinked, completely baffled.
Before she could react, Chris charged at her, machete raised high, as if she were so kind of monster.
Mia didn't move.
She didn't even flinch.
As Chris got close—
She raised her hand, swung her arm back, and—
SMACK.
A loud, crisp slap echoed through the air.
Chris was lifted off the ground.
He spun several tis mid-air before crashing to the ground. His head lolled to the side—completely unconscious.
Silence.
The entire camp froze.
Brandon and the others stared, wide-eyed, their brains struggling to process what just happened.
"Uh… Uncle Chris… is he okay?" soone finally asked.
"He'll be fine. He just needs a minute." Mia replied casually.
"Oh… okay."
Everyone relaxed a little.
Then they looked at Chris again.
His face was already swelling.
That slap… was probably Mia's reward for his nonsense.
Still, the whole situation left an eerie feeling in the air.
Especially for those who had just woken up from their nightmares.
Even though Nightmare had left, his influence still lingered.
People were shaken.
"Mia, what the hell just happened?" Brandon finally asked.
Mia didn't answer right away.
After a brief pause, she exhaled and said—
"Ethan's fault. Entirely."
…
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